VANCOUVER - The MINING ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA has only good news in announcing that the mining industry has become the safest heavy industry in the province. The injury rate for miners is now three times lower than the next closest industry in its category, says the association.
In 1996 the mining industry's injury rate was 6 per 100 person-years. By 1999 that had dropped to 4 per 100 person-years and today the injury rate is just 1.3 per 100 person-years. Anyone familiar with worker safety records will acknowledge this to be a considerable achievement.
"Our exemplary safety record is one of our proudest accomplishments," says Michael McPhie, president & CEO of the Mining Association of BC. "Our member companies and their operating mines take safety very seriously. We're a tight-knit community, often living and working together in small towns. When one of our own is injured on the job, we all suffer."
"We can't take our safety record for granted. We've worked hard to earn it and our aim is to reduce our injury rate even further," says Ron Caldwell, Mining Association of BC's VP of health, safety and disability management. With many of the existing mines currently operating at full capacity to keep up with current mineral demand, this won't be an easy challenge. "We must all make an extra effort to ensure that our accident rate doesn't climb and indeed continues to fall to zero, our ultimate goal," he added.
For more good news about mining safely, contact Caldwell at 604-681-4321 ext. 114 or rcaldwell@mining.bc.ca.
Comments