Teams of dedicated and highly trained emergency response/mine rescue personnel from 16 mine sites around the province tested their skills at the 51st annual Emergency Response/Mine Rescue Skills Competition held at the World Trade Centre in Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park on Saturday.
Underground and surface rescue teams displayed their highly qualified and proficient skills in five separate events, including firefighting, first aid, proficiency skills, practical skills and simulated surface and underground mine problems.
Westmoreland Mining LLC’s Estevan mine sent a team to the competition in the surface division. Members are Josiah Anderson, Derek Choma, Jessica Klarholm, Brie McClement, Matt Procyshyn, Lonnie Rooks, Brandon Schopp and Tyler Ursu. Schopp is the captain and Klarholm is the vice-captain.
They earned a runner-up finish in practical skills.
Nutrien Patience Lake was the winner in the surface division, while Mosaic Belle Plaine was the runner-up in surface.
Mosaic Esterhazy K1 won the underground division, and Nutrien Lanigan was second.
“The Saskatchewan Mining Association salutes these safety professionals who are a tremendous resource, both to the mines where they work and their home communities,” the mining association said in a news release.
At the awards ceremony, two member companies received the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum’s prestigious John T. Ryan National Safety Trophy.
For a second year in a row, Mosaic Esterhazy K1 received the national award for select mines with a rate of zero, meaning they had no lost-time injuries, or modified work injuries at their operations in 2018, representing over 1,131,000 hours worked.
Westmoreland Poplar River also received the national award in the coal mine category, working over 275,000 with a reportable injury rate of zero.
In addition to the CIM National Awards, for a second year in a row Cameco Cigar Lake Mine received the 2018 John T. Ryan Regional Safety Trophy in the metal mine category for Prairie provinces and territories.
