Mining’s old guard needs strong medicine
A new report details subpar investor returns in the mining industry over the last decade, particularly big cap diversified companies which have not adapted to new realities.
At a ceremony held at De Beers Canada’s Snap Lake Mine on September 11th, 2012, Sandvik Mining celebrated the achievement of five years without any Lost Time Injuries (LTI’s), a milestone achieved by Sandvik Mining’s Maintenance Contract Team based both at De Beers Canada’s Snap Lake Mine and in Sandvik’s Yellowknife office located in the Northwest Territories, Canada.
The five year LTI-free milestone was reached on January 1st this year and recognizes the accomplishment of both mine based staff and those in Sandvik’s Yellowknife branch – where Sandvik’s employees support work done by the maintenance team on site. To date, both sites still remain LTI-free.
Glen Koropchuk, COO De Beers Canada; David Gardner, President Sandvik Mining Americas; Tony Guthrie, CEO & President De Beers Canada; Rob Smart, Manager Global Mining De Beers
Peter Larsen, VP EHS Sandvik Mining Americas, Neil Miller, Customer Services Sandvik Mining Americas; Marc Stuparyk, Sandvik Mining Maintenance Team Leader; Maxwell Morapeli; Snap Lake Mine General Manager; David Gardner, President Sandvik Mining Americas; Morag Howell, Yellowknife Area Sales Manager, Glen Koropchuk, COO De Beers Canada.
“I applaud every worker for making this happen, the leadership of Mark Stuparyk – leader of our maintenance team, the dedication of the team here on site, and the De Beers Canada Snap Lake Mine for their ongoing support and shared commitment to the values that forged our relationship from the beginning,” he added. “It is this collective partnership and vision that set the foundation for this remarkable achievement.”
A commemorative plaque was presented to the Snap Lake Mine General Manager, Maxwell Morapeli at a town hall event for all employees at the mine. Also in attendance were Tony Guthrie, President and Chief Executive Officer of De Beers Canada, and Glen Koropchuk, Chief Operating Officer of De Beers Canada.
“On behalf of De Beers Canada, I would like to personally congratulate and thank each and every Sandvik employee at the Snap Lake Mine for their outstanding contribution to safety,” said Tony Guthrie, President and CEO of De Beers Canada. “The focus on safety by Sandvik and all of our Snap Lake Mine contractors is essential to De Beers’ goal of mining diamonds safely and securely, without harm to people or the environment.”
Sandvik Mining’s history with De Beers
In 2006, a highly visionary and unique alliance was formed between De Beers Canada and Sandvik Mining. The notion of partnership was shared between the two parties as a component of a much greater strategy for what was seen to be a very diverse and challenging environment.
Under that notion, an alignment of values was established and a shared responsibility management system was put into play, one of the first of its kind, in terms of the depth of integration between an operating mine and a supplier in the local industry. Both De Beers and Sandvik set out on a journey to make Snap Lake “the best it could possibly be”.
“At the beginning of the project, it was difficult to assess our potential for success. The project was new, construction was ongoing, facilities were not yet completed, the harsh winters were a factor, there was a lot of activity at a very high pace and many things were really unknown,” said Gardner.
“However, through a firm practice of risk assessment, De Beers Canada’s rigorous EHS program paired with Sandvik’s EHS program, some old fashioned teamwork and dedication, a major milestone of 5 LTI free years was reached by Sandvik’s maintenance team on site,” he added.
Commemorative plaques were also presented to Yellowknife’s Sandvik Mining branch and De Beers offices, as well as to De Beers headquarters in Toronto by Stephen Slama, VP of Sales Sandvik Mining Canada.
Yellowknife, September 21, 2012
