A new safety award has been created to recognize companies that practice best safety practices and deliver the strongest project management on mining and minerals projects.
The award, dubbed the Hatch-CIM Mining and Minerals Project Construction Safety Award, was established by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) and international engineering, procurement and construction management company Hatch Ltd.
The award will be given out to teams of project owners and project companies that work together to safely execute projects in the mining and minerals field. At least one of the two parties must be members of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, and they must have worked jointly to complete a project of significance within Canada’s borders.
Judging will be open to all mining and processing factories in the metals, diamonds, industrial minerals, coal and oil sands sectors in Canada. Projects can be submitted for consideration once they have been completed for a one-year period.
Each project can only be submitted once, but once a project is submitted, the application will stand for three years so long as it meets the award criteria.
CIM executive director Jean Vavrek said the award was long overdue given the solid safety track record of the Canadian mining industry.
“This idea has been on the table for a couple of years,” Vavrek said. “The construction phase of any mining and minerals projects is complex and very dynamic, offering particular challenges. Considering the good safety track record of such projects, this is an award whose time has come.”
While Canada has been a leader in following safety procedures in projects of this type, Hatch CEO John Bianchini noted that there is always room to both incentivize and reward positive behaviour.
“At Hatch we are proud to be part of the ‘safety journey’ that will make the implementation of all mining and minerals projects free of harm,” he said. ”Our intent is that the Hatch-CIM safety award will advance this journey by recognizing those projects that demonstrate this commitment while achieving excellent project results.”
The award reflects the common “No Harm” goal pursued by most in the industry. That goal entails ensuring people are free from harm and that that care extends to facilities, equipment and the environment.
The inaugural Hatch-CIM Mining and Minerals Project Construction Safety Award will be handed out next year at the 2013 CIM Award Gala in Toronto.
