TIMMINS, ONT. – Drilling company Orbit Garant Drilling Services Inc. of Val-d’Or, Que. is facing a hefty fine after a worker was hurt while trying to free a water hose at the Bell Creek Underground Mine in Timmins, Ont.
According to an Ontario court bulletin, Orbit Garant Drilling Services Inc. was contracted to provide diamond drilling services at the mine.
On Sept. 30, 2023, an assistant driller noticed a water hose had gotten caught on the drill rod and tried to free it.
At the same time, a driller, working outside a protective fence, rotated the drill, which injured the assistant driller.
A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation determined the drill rig had an exposed moving part that was not adequately guarded. The guard had been ordered by the employer but was not yet installed, the bulletin reads.
As a result, Orbit Garant Drilling Services Inc. did not ensure the measures and procedures prescribed by section 185(2) of Ontario Regulation 854 were carried out, contrary to clause section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The company was fined $100,000 on Dec. 4, 2025 in Ontario Provincial Offences Court in Timmins by His Worship Leonard Ellery.
