‘She tried seven times before she finally bit me on the eighth time’
A 72-year-old contractor delivering supplies to Cameco's Key Lake mill in Saskatchewan was bitten by a wolf on Oct. 17 while inspecting his truck on Highway 914, a reminder that wildlife hazards follow workers beyond the mine gate.
Ivan Salahub had stopped at a turnout about 90 kilometres from the mill at roughly 6:15 p.m. to check his tires, lights and airbags, larongeNOW reported. "She tried seven times before she finally bit me on the eighth time," he told the outlet.
Cameco confirmed the worker's status in a statement to SaskToday: "A contractor was involved in an off-site encounter with a wolf."
Injuries and investigation
Salahub escaped into his cab with a deep calf bite. Another trucker with first-responder experience stopped and used first-aid kits from both vehicles to dress the wound. Salahub was treated at the mill and is receiving precautionary rabies treatment, according to larongeNOW.
The Conservation Officer Service's Wildlife Human Attack Response Team is investigating, the Ministry of Community Safety told CBC News. The wolf was trapped Oct. 20, euthanized and sent to Prairie Diagnostic Services in Saskatoon for a necropsy, CTV News reported.
The ministry said the service takes public-safety incidents "very seriously," MBC Radio reported. Cameco told CTV News it is reminding workers of wildlife safety precautions.
A pattern at remote sites
Those reminders follow other serious incidents. In May, a 27-year-old independent contractor was killed in a black bear attack at a remote Saskatchewan uranium exploration site, according to CTV News.
Wolves have targeted Cameco workers before. On New Year's Eve 2004, Key Lake employee Fred Desjarlais held off a wolf until co-workers arrived and scared it away, CBC News and The Globe and Mail reported.
After a contractor was attacked near camp at Cigar Lake in 2016, all personnel there were told to move around the site by vehicle until further notice, CJME reported.
What employers should consider
Saskatchewan's Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, require employers and contractors to identify risks when a worker works alone or at an isolated place of employment. Those steps include regular contact with the worker.
Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) has reported that federal guidance calls for hazard assessments when staff work near wildlife, in coverage of a grizzly bear attack on teachers during a B.C. school field trip. Employers can also review lone worker safety products and check-in tools.
For workers, the ministry advises facing the wolf, appearing large and backing away slowly. Aggressive wolves should be reported to the TIPP line at 1-800-667-7561, Global News reported; CTV News noted that 911 is for emergencies.
