Northern Irish gold mine operators fined following H&S failures

This month, the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI) led a prosecution against Flintridge Resources Limited, the operator of Cavanacaw Mine in Omagh leading to fines of £120,000.

In July 2018, mine employees were exposed to risk as a result of a fall of rocks from the roof of an underground roadway within the mine. The unstable portion then migrated to the surface causing an inrush of water to enter and flood a portion of the mine, further exposing employees to the risk of drowning.

HSENI Principal Inspector Brian Pryce notes, ‘The failure of the mine operator (Flintridge Resources Limited) to ensure that suitable measures were put in place resulted in employees being exposed to unnecessary risk which could have resulted in fatalities.’

Galantas Gold Corporation, owners of the site, recently announced the appointment of Micon International Ltd to produce a NI 43-101-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate for the Omagh Gold project.