Diavik wins safety award

For the second straight year, Diavik Diamond Mines has been awarded the John T. Ryan Regional Trophy for select mines in western Canada.

“Diavik was the first diamond operation to win a Ryan safety trophy, and earning this award in back-to-back years demonstrates consistency and dedication on the part of all employees,” said Peter McBride, John T. Ryan Safety Trophies committee secretary, at the awards ceremony.

The award is presented to the operation achieving the lowest reportable injury rate among select mines in western Canada. Participants in the regional select mine category include all western Canadian open-pit mines, and oil sands operations.

Diavik, owned 60% by London-based Rio Tinto (RTP-N), with the rest held by Aber Diamond (ABZ-T), achieved its safety performance by applying high standards, educating its workers, measuring ongoing performance, reviewing safety systems and programs, and setting improvement targets.

John T. Ryan award winners are selected by a committee of senior provincial and territorial mines inspectors, as well as provincial and territorial mining association representatives.

To hone safety skills, Diavik’s emergency response team competes in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Workers’ Compensation Board’s annual mine rescue competition held in Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Overall, the Ekati team of BHP Billiton (BHP-N) took top honours in the 2005 competition.