What lessons can mining professionals in Northern Ontario learn from a former Formula One racecar driver? Delegates will find out later this month during the 2025 Mining Health and Safety Conference hosted by Workplace Safety North (WSN).
The organization has announced Derek Daly, a former competitor in Formula One and Indy 500 racing, will headline the event being held April 30 to May 1 at Science North.
"The Mining Health and Safety Conference serves as a vital platform for industry professionals to connect, exchange insights, and reinforce the core principles of mining safety,” Mike Parent, WSN’s president and CEO, said in a news release.
“By prioritizing compliance, risk management, and a culture of safety, we are strengthening Ontario’s mining sector, ensuring it is recognized globally as the safest in the world."
Following a celebrated racing career that lasted through the late 1970s to early 1990s, Daly has become a well-known speaker and broadcaster.
He's anticipated to share his story of perseverance after nearly being killed in a car crash at the Michigan International Speedway in 1984. After fourteen surgeries and three years in therapy, Daly returned to full-time racing.
In addition to the keynote address, the conference will feature a range of presentations covering high-risk hazard management, improving physical and psychological health and safety in the workplace, industry case studies, research and innovation, and emergency response.
Other activities include a three-part mining mock trial, a tradeshow, the annual awards presentations, and technical sessions.
Registration for the event is open. More information, including a more detailed agenda, is available here.
Workplace Safety North administers the Ontario Mine Rescue program, and provides workplace health and safety training and services for the mining and forest products industries.
