49th Annual Mine Safety Awards

Recipients of the 49th Annual Mine Safety Awards were celebrated on June 11, 2011 in Revelstoke.

Awards were presented in seven categories, with two Special Commendations for Reduction in Lost Time Accident Frequency. This was also the first year that the Chief Inspector of Mines' Recognition Award was presented to recognize safety efforts based on merit rather than safety statistics.

Open Pit Mine and Quarry Awards and Underground Mine Awards were handed out to mines and quarries that accumulated 15,000 or more worker or contractor hours, and had no fatalities between the period of January 1 and December 31, 2010.

Open Pit Mine and Quarry Awards

Certificate of Achievement

Certificates of Achievement were presented to the following operations, all of which had a minimum of 15,000 worker hours and an injury-frequency rate of zero:

• Butler Brothers Supplies Ltd. – Duncan Aggregate
• Butler Brothers Supplies Ltd. – Keating Pit
• Certain Teed Gypsum Canada Inc. - Windermere Mining Operation
• Fraser Pacific Enterprises Inc. – Sumas Shale Quarry
• Jack Cewe Ltd. – Treat Creak, Jervis Inlet Mine
• Lehigh Materials – Skway Pit
• Plateau Construction Ltd. – Harper Ranch Quarry

Stewart/O'Brian Safety Award

This award was presented to the following operations, all of which logged between 35,000 and 200,000 worker hours and had the lowest injury-frequency rate.

• Allard Contractors Ltd. – Pit D
• Lafarge Canada Inc. - Pitt River Quarries
• Lafarge Canada Inc. – Coquitlam Sand and Gravel
• Lafarge Canada Inc. – Texada Quarry
• Mainland Sand and Gravel Ltd. – Cox Station Quarry

Edward Prior Award

This award is presented to operations that logged between 200,000 and 1,000,000 worker hours and had the lowest injury-frequency rate.

• Teck Coal Limited - Line Creek Operations
• Thompson Creek Mining Ltd. - Endako Mines. 

John Ash Award

This award is presented to operations that logged a minimum of 1,000,000 worker hours and had the lowest injury-frequency rate.

• Teck Coal Limited - Elkview Operations.

Underground Mine Awards

Small Underground Mines Award

This award is presented to operations that logged between 20,000 and 240,000 worker hours (one-third of which were underground) and had the lowest injury-frequency rate.

• No recipient

Large Underground Mines Award

The Large Underground Mines Award was created in addition to the Small Underground Mines Award to recognize the lowest lost time accident frequency in underground mines with more than 240,000 worker hours.

• New Gold Inc. - New Afton Mine.

Chief Inspector of Mines' Recognition Award 

The Chief Inspector's Recognition Award is awarded to mine sites and/or individuals that have accomplished outstanding achievements in or that have greatly advanced health and safety at mine sites. This award is based on merit and is intended to recognize safety efforts other than safety statistics.

Teck Highland Valley Copper Partnership received the 2010 award for their heroic efforts on September 18, 2007. The team came to the aid of another mine to rescue an excavator operator who had been working a highwall when 17,000-35,000 tonnes of material sloughed off and completely buried the excavator. The operator was trapped for approximately 13 hours before being rescued by the Highland Valley Copper mine rescue team. Their mine rescue knowledge, skills, experience and leadership at the mine saved the operator's life.

Special Commendation for Reduction in Lost Time Accident Frequency

• Mainland Sand and Gravel Ltd. - Cox Station Quarry
• NVI Mining - Myra Falls Operations