Safety

May 2011

 SAFETY CULTURE AND RECORD

• Safety is first and foremost for all members of the Association and member companies invest their time and effort in developing and maintaining a positive safety culture at all their operations.

•  Mining is one of the safest industries in the province, averaging less than one Lost Time Accident (LTA) for every 200,000 hours or 100 years worked for the past 17 years. Our industry is continuously striving to improve upon its safety record.
  

•  Saskatchewan mining has some of the lowest Workers’ Compensation Board assessment rates in the province – lower than workers in the health or government sectors; a result of continuing efforts to reduce accidents through improved training and safe workplace practices.

•  Saskatchewan mines have been frequent winners of the National J.T. Ryan Safety Awards sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum.  This year, Cameco's McArthur River Mine was the Regional winner of the Metal Mine category.  In 2009, Cameco's McArthur River Mine was the National winner of the Metal Mine category with 1 reportable incident in over 750,000 hours worked.  Cameco's Cigar Lake Mine was awarded a Special Award Certificate for their Safety performance in 2009.  AREVA's McClean Lake milling operation attained a perfect safety record in 2009, with no reportable injuries in over 616,000 hours worked.  In 2006 the Mosaic Esterhazy K1 Mine won the National Award in the Select Mine category.  

• In 2009, the McArthur River Mine achieved record safe production, which by no coincidence, also marked the overall record production from McArthur River.  Safety improved productivity.  

• The time loss claims for workers in open pit miningn is 0.50%; underground hard rock is 1.36% and underground soft rock is 1.62% compared to 3.44% for all industry classes and 6.12% for Health Authorities, Hospitals and Care Homes.

• Saskatchewan's mining industry is a strong supporter of the Saskatchewan Safety Council's "SAFE SASKATCHEWAN" initiative, and the SMA works with other like-minded Safety Organizations to promote the culture of safety a the workplace, and at home.

•  The Mine Safety Unit, Occupational Health and Safety Branch of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration, inspects all mines in the province on a regular basis.  The mining industry is the only industry that has a dedicated government safety unit. 
  

•  Saskatchewan mine supervisors are required to hold Department of Labour certification of their knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations, certification in First Aid, and certification in Supervisory Duties in an Emergency. No other industry in Saskatchewan has these safety requirements.

•  Active Occupational Health and Safety Committees are an important part of Saskatchewan mines’ efforts to reduce accidents in the workplace.

• New workershave between 32 and 40 hours of initial safety orientation training which is followed by mentoring time with trainers until they achieve a level of proficiency in their work area.

• Safety training at Saskatchewan mine sites is continuous with workers initially having an extensive safety training orientation that is reinforced by ongoing safety programs,. All crews have regular safety briefings to ensure that safety is the first criteria considered before any task is undertaken.

• Saskatchewan mining companies have over 130 safety professionals at the mine sitesk, and upwards of 1000 trained emergency response people.

• SMA Safety Committee is comprised of dedicated Safety Professionals from all mine site operations.  They meet monthly to share information pertaining to their sites to enhance health and safety at mining operations.

• A recent initiative of the Safety Committee is the organization of the Industrial Safety Supervisor Course - a 3 day course dedicated to improving safety and the management of safety, for supervisors at the mine sites. 
  

EXPLORATION SAFETY

• SMA Exploration companies are also proactive about ensuring safety in their work environment.   

• The Exploration Safety Sub-Committee held their 2nd Annual Exploration Safety Workshop in May 2010, with over 70 participants from a dozen companies attending.

SUMMARY

The Saskatchewan mining industry is a safe, strongly regulated industry, where employees are well compensated for their work.  The Saskatchewan mining industry believes one accident is too many and our companies continually strive toward the elimination of all injuries.