Mining company charged with negligence in bear attack on worker

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A mining concern in the northern Canadian town of Yellowknife faces negligence charges, after the mauling death of one of its employees by a bear, local authorities said Tuesday.

The Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board laid five charges against Aurora Geosciences, alleging the company failed to properly train the Quebec man before sending him into the wilderness to stake mining claims.

The indictment is believed to be the first of its kind in Canada's northern hinterland, where wild animals greatly outnumber people.

"It is the first case of its kind in the Yukon involving a bear attack," said Mark Hill, a spokesman for the compensation board, told AFP.

"In our view, it's no different from any other legal obligation of companies to keep their workers safe."

The 28-year-old employee was killed by a grizzly bear in April 2006 while staking mining claims in the backwoods near Ross River, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northeast of Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said he was apparently attacked by a mother bear after wandering close to a den that contained her two cubs.

The court case is scheduled to start June 5. Aurora Geosciences executives face a possible maximum penalty of one year in jail and a 150,000-dollar (135,000 US) fine.

Bear attacks are rare in mineral exploration, but geologist Al Doherty warned the case could set a dangerous precedent for anyone who works in Canada's outback.

"It opens a huge can of worms for employers, because now all of a sudden it seems that if you don't get up and dress your employee in the morning, you're liable," he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

But Hill countered: "There are a number of potential hazards in the wild. People need to be trained and equipped to deal with them. Wildlife should be known to people who work in that environment, and there is lots information available to help them deal with these dangers."

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