SASKATOON — This past weekend, teams of emergency response/mine rescue personnel from 18 mine sites around the province tested their skills at the 53rd Saskatchewan Mining Association Emergency Response/Mine Rescue Skills Competition held at the World Trade Centre at Prairieland Park June 3.
Underground and surface rescue teams displayed their skills in seven separate events, including Firefighting, First Aid, Proficiency Skills, Practical Skills, Bench Technician, Surface Rope Rescue, and Simulated Surface and Underground Mine Problems.
Teams earning top scores were: Surface - Mosaic Belle Plaine, runner up – K+S Potash Canada Bethune; Underground - Nutrien Lanigan; runner up – Nutrien Allan.
Individual event winners are:
First Aid - Surface - Mosaic Belle Plaine; runner up – Westmoreland Mining Estevan; underground - Nutrien Lanigan; runner up – Nutrien Cory.
Firefighting - Surface– K+S Potash Bethune; runner up – Mosaic Belle Plaine; underground – Nutrien Lanigan; runner up – Nutrien Allan.
Practical Skills - Surface – Westmoreland Mining Estevan; runner up – Mosaic Belle Plaine; underground– Nutrien Cory; runner up – Nutrien Allan.
Proficiency - Surface - Orano McClean Lake; runner up – K+S Potash Bethune; underground – Nutrien Lanigan; runner up – Nutrien Allan.
Underground Bench Technician - Nutrien Rocanville; runner up – Nutrien Lanigan.
Surface Rope Rescue Skills – K+S Potash Canada Bethune; runner up – Mosaic Belle Plaine.
Surface Field Problem - K+S Potash Canada Bethune; runner up – Mosaic Belle Plaine.
Underground Mine Problem - Nutrien Lanigan; runner up – Nutrien Allan.
At the awards ceremony, two member companies were recognized for receiving the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum’s John T. Ryan National Safety Trophy. Westmoreland Mining Poplar River Mine received the national award in the Coal Mines category with a rate of zero, meaning that they had no lost time injuries, or modified work injuries at their operations in 2022. Nutrien Rocanville also received the John T. Ryan Regional Safety Trophy in the Select Mine Category.
