Simplot’s laser focus on safety is emphasized throughout the 公司 at our sites around the world. This is certainly true at Simplot’s Smoky Canyon Mine in Afton, Wyoming. Employees there have taken numerous measures to keep the facility and its workers safe, while meeting business and sustainability objectives.
This commitment to safety recently received national recognition at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. 10月. 19, the National 矿业 Association (NMA), the U.S. National Institute of Occupational 安全 and 健康 and the U.S. Office of Surface 矿业 Reclamation and Enforcement honored outstanding achievements in mine safety and technology – including those realized at Smoky Canyon.
Simplot’s Smoky Canyon Mine was among only twenty American mining operations – six coal 矿山 and 14 mineral/metal 矿山 – honored with the NMA’s Sentinels of 安全 奖 for 2022. Smoky Canyon was recognized in the Large Open Pit category; the mine also received this award in 2013 in the same category.
The award recognizes, across 10个类别, total employee hours worked in a calendar year without a single lost time injury. These categories reflect the safety accomplishments of both small and large 矿山. A minimum of 4,000 hours is required for award consideration.
“We were so happy that our team was recognized for the hard work our miners dedicate every day to grow our safety culture,” said Simplot Senior Director 健康 安全 & Security Alicia Duke, who attended the ceremony with a group of other Simplot employees. “To be among this small group of 矿山 in this prestigious national recognition speaks volumes. It’s welcome validation for a lot of hard work and trust with the employees … they are truly involved in the processes, which make them successful.”
Smoky Canyon Mine Manager Dan Darlington said it was very important to have employees from the site come to D.C. to accept the award, since their efforts are why Simplot received the honor. These attendees included those who contributed in an exceptional way to mine safety culture, such as safety committee members who have gone above and beyond, as well as the Smoky Canyon Safe Employee of the Year.
When asked what contributed most to Simplot winning the award, Smoky Canyon 矿业 安全 Manager Robert Roberts pointed out the commitment to and passion for safety the team at Smoky demonstrate every day to protect themselves and their co-workers. “The 安全 Committee is active in reviewing CARE data, near-miss data and communicating back with employees,罗伯茨说。. “There is collaboration on best practices among the AgriBusiness 矿山 and manufacturing plants.”
Sharing of incidents and internal mine audits are also instrumental to Smoky Canyon’s safety successes, according to Simplot Director of 矿业 Chad Gentry. “They are conducted twice a year at every mine, with teams made up from members at each mine, such as safety committee members and representatives from all departments in the mine. From these audits best practices are developed and shared and implanted.”
Initiated in 1925 by then Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover, a former mining engineer, the Sentinels of 安全 奖 program remains the nation’s most prestigious recognition of mine safety and has helped foster a strong safety commitment on the part of U.S. 矿山.
你知道吗? Smoky Canyon comprises several departments within the site, and all of them have gone years without a reportable injury – the longest for more than 13 years!
了解更多 about Simplot’s 矿业 & 制造业 operations, including at Smoky Canyon Mine.
