Province Marks Anniversary of Westray Mine Disaster

Nova Scotians will gather today, May 9, to mark 20 years since a massive explosion ripped through the Westray mine in Pictou County, killing 26 men and prompting much-needed improvements in workplace health and safety, particularly in the mining industry.

"Nova Scotians will never forget that day and those brave, hard-working men that were lost," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "Our thoughts are with the surviving workers, and the families and friends of those killed, who continue to be affected by this terrible event.

"I also want to thank the surrounding community, the rescue teams and members of the labour movement, especially the United Steelworkers, for their ongoing support of their fellow Nova Scotians."

The explosion at the Westray mine occurred at 5:18 a.m. on May 9, 1992. Rescue efforts continued for a week after the tragedy but there were no survivors. The tragedy remains one of the deadliest mining disasters in Canadian history.

Labour and Advanced Education Minister Marilyn More said the incident stands as one of the most sobering reminders of the potentially deadly cost of an unsafe workplace.

"All Nova Scotians have the right to be safe at work," Ms. More said. "It is through our combined commitment to safety that we can make sure tragedies like this never happen again."

The province established a Commission of Inquiry to review the tragedy and the factors that contributed to it. The review resulted in the Westray Inquiry Report, which included 74 recommendations to improve health and safety in the mining industry. The report is available online at http://www.gov.ns.ca/lae/pubs/westray/ .

The majority of the recommendations were addressed with the implementation of the Underground Mining Regulations in 2003.

"Since that fateful day, successive governments have made significant changes to improve workplace health and safety, and to make sure that the full force of the law is felt in support of this national goal," Premier Dexter said. "However, that doesn't mean we are done.

"Workplace safety is everyone's responsibility. Together, we will ensure that Westray is never forgotten and we will stay vigilant to make sure that something like this never happens again."

The Westray anniversary falls in the midst of North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, which runs May 6-12. Events are scheduled throughout the day today in Pictou County to pay tribute to the fallen workers.