The owners of the Tagish Lake gold mine south of Whitehorse admit its workers ignored safety orders from Yukon inspectors.

The company, Tagish Lake Gold Corp., pleaded guilty in territorial court this week and a supervisor was fined.

The charges stem from inspections which took place in the summer of 2011, during underground exploration at the old Skookum Gold mine.

Safety officers noticed several equipment deficiencies, including failed truck brakes and a lack of cab protection for an underground scoop tram.

Yukon's Occupational Health and Safety authorities issued stop work orders. However, when inspectors returned a month later, the same equipment was still in use.

The company admits it ignored the orders.

In court on Tuesday, mine supervisor Bill Lewkoski agreed to pay a fine of $5,000.

Lewkoski's boss, mine manager Mark Greasly, faces similar charges but Yukon authorities have been unable to find him.

Tagish Lake Gold Corp. has now agreed to accept its role in ignoring the orders.

The company’s lawyers have accepted a plea bargain and agreed to return for sentencing in February.

The Skookum mine, located on the Wheaton Valley property about 80 kilometres south of Whitehorse, operated briefly in the mid-1980s.

Tagish Lake Gold’s website says further exploration depends on negotiations with the Yukon Government over security for clean-up of the old mine.