Garson Mine safest in Canada

Not so long ago, many mining operations in Greater Sudbury didn’t go a week without having an employee suffer some form of serious injury.

Going a full year – and more – without a single reportable disabling injury is not only something to be proud of, but worthy of national attention.

That’s why there were so many smiling and proud faces Thursday morning at Inco’s Garson Mine, which has been recognized as Canada’s safest metal mine for 2005 by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

Garson Mine was awarded the national John T. Ryan Trophy back in May, emblematic of safety supremacy at the CIM’s 108th annual Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver.

More than 180 employees, including unionized workers and managers, gathered early Thursday for a formal presentation acknowledging winning the national award.

With zero reportable injuries in 2005, Garson Mine had the lowest lost time accident rate of any metal mine in Canada.

The good luck streak has continued into 2006, with no further reportable injuries so far this year.

While Garson Mine has a long record of safety success of the past decade, this is the first time since 1945 that it has captured the Ryan Trophy.

For the special occasion Thursday, management invited Art Lye, 90, and Gus Della Vedova, 81, who both worked at the mine 60 years ago, the first time Garson Mine won the Ryan Trophy, to attend the celebration.

”It took a lot of commitment and pride by everyone at the mine to win this award,” said a beaming Dave Duncan, acting mine superintendent.

”Everyone who comes to work at this facility quickly realizes whether it’s one day, one month, one year or 45 years, we’re all about working safely and that takes commitment and pride by every single member of the team.”

Teamwork is the key to success in ensuring health and safety in an inherently dangerous business like operating a full production mine, said Duncan.

”Like any relationship, it’s about communication and working things out and treating each other with respect and dignity,” he said. ”There has to be give and take between the workers and management and each other and we have that here.

”There’s no arrogance by anyone who thinks they know better and we all work together to make sure we’re all safe at all times.”

The last time there was a reportable injury at Garson Mine was way back in late November of 2004, and every worker who shares in this national award should be very proud, said Duncan.

Inco’s North Mine came very close to sharing the same award, said Duncan.

Workers and management at South Mine should also be applauded because they’re well on their way to winning the award for 2006 as there hasn’t been a single reportable incident so far this year, said Duncan.

Health and safety shouldn’t only be a priority on the job, but also when dealing with family, friends and neighbours so that it becomes part of your daily routine, said Duncan.

Duncan teared up as he said the award must be shared with Mike Lemieux and Al Epps, who passed away recently.

Lemieux died after a battle with cancer and Epps, a popular worker at Garson Mine, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Don McGraw, chair of health, safety and environment for Local 6500 of the United Steelworkers, said winning the Ryan Trophy is very difficult because mining is such a dangerous business.

”The fact of the matter is it takes a lot of time, dedication and commitment by everyone to run a safe operation like this,” he said. ”Everyone involved should be very proud.”

Going a full year without a single serious incident is a credit to not only front-line miners, but also mine managers and the company, who have become increasingly committed to job health and safety, he said.

”At the end of the day we want everyone who comes into one of our plants or mines to come here healthy and safe and be able to go home at the end of the shift in the same condition,” he said.

Mark Cutifani, Inco’s president and CEO for North American/European operations, said ”there’s no greater success” in mining than running a profitable operation where all workers are dedicated and committed to health and safety.

”You people here really have produced a model of leadership and success in the business,” he said.

Dave Cockburn, worker safety representative for Garson Mine, said Inco’s much improved safety record has only been achieved through a partnership agreement to commit to safety over the past few years.

”We finally agreed to share the vision of what can be achieved,” he said. ”Only as far back as 1999, the idea of having no injuries was a foreign one…now we have three plants close to achieving that dream.”

His vision is by 2015 to have health and safety policies and procedures in place so there isn’t a single serious incident at any Inco mine or plant throughout Sudbury operations, said Cockburn.

Source: Not so long ago, many mining operations in Greater Sudbury didn’t go a week without having an employee suffer some form of serious injury.

Going a full year – and more – without a single reportable disabling injury is not only something to be proud of, but worthy of national attention.

That’s why there were so many smiling and proud faces Thursday morning at Inco’s Garson Mine, which has been recognized as Canada’s safest metal mine for 2005 by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

Garson Mine was awarded the national John T. Ryan Trophy back in May, emblematic of safety supremacy at the CIM’s 108th annual Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver.

More than 180 employees, including unionized workers and managers, gathered early Thursday for a formal presentation acknowledging winning the national award.

With zero reportable injuries in 2005, Garson Mine had the lowest lost time accident rate of any metal mine in Canada.

The good luck streak has continued into 2006, with no further reportable injuries so far this year.

While Garson Mine has a long record of safety success of the past decade, this is the first time since 1945 that it has captured the Ryan Trophy.

For the special occasion Thursday, management invited Art Lye, 90, and Gus Della Vedova, 81, who both worked at the mine 60 years ago, the first time Garson Mine won the Ryan Trophy, to attend the celebration.

”It took a lot of commitment and pride by everyone at the mine to win this award,” said a beaming Dave Duncan, acting mine superintendent.

”Everyone who comes to work at this facility quickly realizes whether it’s one day, one month, one year or 45 years, we’re all about working safely and that takes commitment and pride by every single member of the team.”

Teamwork is the key to success in ensuring health and safety in an inherently dangerous business like operating a full production mine, said Duncan.

”Like any relationship, it’s about communication and working things out and treating each other with respect and dignity,” he said. ”There has to be give and take between the workers and management and each other and we have that here.

”There’s no arrogance by anyone who thinks they know better and we all work together to make sure we’re all safe at all times.”

The last time there was a reportable injury at Garson Mine was way back in late November of 2004, and every worker who shares in this national award should be very proud, said Duncan.

Inco’s North Mine came very close to sharing the same award, said Duncan.

Workers and management at South Mine should also be applauded because they’re well on their way to winning the award for 2006 as there hasn’t been a single reportable incident so far this year, said Duncan.

Health and safety shouldn’t only be a priority on the job, but also when dealing with family, friends and neighbours so that it becomes part of your daily routine, said Duncan.

Duncan teared up as he said the award must be shared with Mike Lemieux and Al Epps, who passed away recently.

Lemieux died after a battle with cancer and Epps, a popular worker at Garson Mine, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Don McGraw, chair of health, safety and environment for Local 6500 of the United Steelworkers, said winning the Ryan Trophy is very difficult because mining is such a dangerous business.

”The fact of the matter is it takes a lot of time, dedication and commitment by everyone to run a safe operation like this,” he said. ”Everyone involved should be very proud.”

Going a full year without a single serious incident is a credit to not only front-line miners, but also mine managers and the company, who have become increasingly committed to job health and safety, he said.

”At the end of the day we want everyone who comes into one of our plants or mines to come here healthy and safe and be able to go home at the end of the shift in the same condition,” he said.

Mark Cutifani, Inco’s president and CEO for North American/European operations, said ”there’s no greater success” in mining than running a profitable operation where all workers are dedicated and committed to health and safety.

”You people here really have produced a model of leadership and success in the business,” he said.

Dave Cockburn, worker safety representative for Garson Mine, said Inco’s much improved safety record has only been achieved through a partnership agreement to commit to safety over the past few years.

”We finally agreed to share the vision of what can be achieved,” he said. ”Only as far back as 1999, the idea of having no injuries was a foreign one…now we have three plants close to achieving that dream.”

His vision is by 2015 to have health and safety policies and procedures in place so there isn’t a single serious incident at any Inco mine or plant throughout Sudbury operations, said Cockburn.

Source:www.northernlife.ca