From left to right in the back row: Daniel Paré (Vice President, Quebec), Jason Allaire (Vice President, Health, Safety, Social Affairs and People), Benoit Massicotte (Health & Safety Advisor). From left to right in the front row: Jocelyn Gélinas (General Manager, Goldex), Christian Lessard (Maintenance Supervisor, Goldex), Gérald MacDonald (Health & Safety Training Advisor).
Three Agnico Eagle mines recently received top safety awards for their 2023 performance, reflecting their exceptional dedication to workplace safety.
On May 13th, our Goldex, Meliadine and Canadian Malartic mines were honoured by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) at the CIM Conference Gala in Vancouver. These awards recognize mines with the lowest injury frequency over the past year:
- Goldex: Awarded the 2023 John T. Ryan National Safety Trophy for Metal Mines, achieving 1,178,835 hours worked with a zero reportable injury rate.
- Meliadine: Received the 2023 John T. Ryan Regional Safety Trophy in the Metal Mine category for the Prairie Provinces and Territories for the second consecutive year.
- Canadian Malartic: Won the 2023 John T. Ryan Regional Safety Trophy in the Select Mine category for Eastern Canada.
Carol Plummer, Executive Vice-President of Sustainability, People and Culture, highlighted the significance of these achievements: “To have three of our mines recognized in the same year underscores the success of our safety-focused approach. Our culture prioritizes safe work, ensuring everyone returns home safely, both physically and mentally.”
Health & Safety Superintendents from the awarded mines shared their insights on the successes:
- Goldex: Josée Michaud credited their dedicated team and a culture of kindness and respect for their safety record. "Receiving this industry recognition is a great honour and a reflection of our team's efforts. Our 624 Goldex workers are crucial to our success in health and safety. Their vigilance, knowledge and expertise help us manage and reduce risks. I also want to acknowledge the management team for putting health and safety at the forefront of everything we do. They encourage new ideas and ensure everyone is well informed and trained. Together, we continue to raise the bar on safety at Goldex, ensuring it is integrated across our operation and grounded in reality.”
- Meliadine: Eric Marcotte emphasized that the mine’s success is driven by its people and their commitment to continuous improvement through a strong safety reporting culture. "While our safety systems have matured, it's the safety mindset of our team that truly makes the difference. Winning our second John T. Ryan award in a row is a point of pride, but we remain focused on further improvement, particularly on high-risk incidents. As a fly-in, fly-out operation, we prioritize the mental health and well-being of our people, organizing activities that ensure their comfort and fostering a friendly and respectful atmosphere at the camp. Addressing high-risk situations is key to maintaining credibility on the shop floor, and the follow-up on corrective actions is crucial. We ensure that employees' reports are addressed, following up on actions to prevent incidents.”
- Canadian Malartic: Olivier Brousseau emphasized that their safety culture is founded on three operational steps: 1. Ensuring employee safety. 2. Respecting the environment and community. 3. Proceeding with operations only after the first two steps are confirmed. “These steps guide the daily operations of all workers and are integral to our success in the field. We also continuously emphasize the importance of understanding and reducing the main causes of injuries, actively listening to employees for solutions, and involving them in safety processes. It’s also crucial to highlight the personal impact of workplace injuries to create a deeper understanding among our workers. Receiving this award is a tremendous honour. We see it as a recognition of the relentless efforts by everyone at the mine site to make our workplace safer every day."