Editorial Competitive advantage

From an address by Walter Curlook, Chairman of The Mining Association of Canada, at the Association’s annual meeting in Ottawa:

We in the mining industry can show that productivity improvement and safety improvement come hand-in-hand. The research programs that we have been talking about (rock mechanics, artificial intelligence, computer modelling, automation), will not only lead to improved productivity and lower costs but also to improved safety.

However, there is one facet about most underground mining operations that distinguishes them from most surface operations. Machine failure or human failure, underground, is more likely to threaten life than in surface operations. Making our mines “fail safe” remains the biggest challenge before us. We must couple advanced research and technology with advanced engineering to assure the safest possible work environment.

When I compare the development and improvements that I know are going on in the Canadian mining industry with those I believe to be going on in other countries, I feel that we are definitely developing a competitive advantage. When I take into consideration the strong drive in Canada towards greater, more accelerated and co-ordinated research, then I am convinced that we can and will have the “best” mining operations in the world, i.e., the most productive, the lowest cost and the safest.