A supervisor at a Wheaton Valley gold mine has been fined $5,000 for occupational health and safety violations.

Meanwhile, the mine's owner has pleaded guilty to three related changes and is scheduled to be sentenced in the new year.

Lawyers for Tagish Lake Gold Corp. and underground mine superintendent Bill Lewkoski were in Yukon Territorial Court at different times Tuesday.

Lewkoski pleaded guilty to five charges earlier this fall.

During inspections last year, occupational health and safety officials found several pieces of deficient machinery being used at the gold-silver mine site 80 km southwest of Whitehorse.

Both a scissor lift and scoop tram were lacking functional fire suppression equipment, according to facts agreed to at Lewkoski's sentencing.

The scoop tram also lacked an adequate cab to protect the driver from falling objects.

On July 20, 2011, a verbal stop work order was issued.

When inspectors returned a month later, the equipment was warm from still being used, Judge John Faulkner heard.

It was then that a safety officer attached an "out of service” tag to the scoop tram and an order was issued that the tag not be removed except by a safety officer.

Lewkoski, of Kirkland Lake, Ont., admitted to removing the tag the same day it was put out of service.

He also did not advise mine workers using the scissor lift and scoop tram that they had been ordered out of service because of safety deficiencies, the court heard.

While on site that day, safety officials also issued a stop work order for a Dux truck after its brakes failed to hold during a brake test.

The Dux truck had generally been used to haul water up the steep haul road on the Chieftain Mountain.

The order said the truck was not to be used on the haul road until the brakes had been repaired, the truck passed a brake test and proper berms and runaway lanes had been installed on the road.

But, on the night shift immediately following the stop work order, the Dux truck in question was used again to transport water up the haul road.

No mine workers were injured as a result of the offences.

Lewkoski has no previous history of violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the court heard.

While Lewkoski admitted to these facts in court, Tagish Lake Gold Corp. is scheduled to be sentenced in February.

Earlier Tuesday, the company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Pacific Metals Corp., pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to ensure workers were aware of the hazards of handling or using equipment.

Meanwhile, Lewkoski's boss, mine manager Mark Greasley, is facing the same charges as Lewkoski.

However, occupational health and safety officials have not been able to find the Estevan, Sask. man to serve him.

"The charges are active, and as soon as we find him, we will serve them,” Richard Mostyn, an occupational health and safety spokesperson, said today.

Mostyn said there is no deadline for when the charges would expire.