53rd Health and Safety Seminar of the Québec Mining Association WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY: A PRIORITY FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY
19/09/2017
Québec City, September 19, 2017 – Even though the accident rate continues to decline, the mining industry remains focused on modernizing its methods in order to remain among the leaders in the field of workplace health and safety. This is why, for 53 years, the Québec Mining Association (QMA) has organised an annual health and safety seminar to discuss best practices in connection with accident prevention in mines. This year over 300 managers and supervisors from Québec's mining sector will attend the seminar, highlighting the importance mining companies place on health and safety.
"Thanks to the efforts made every day to prevent accidents, the health and safety record has seen a constant improvement. For example, thanks to the commitment of all mine workers and managers, there was a 22% drop in the accident rate in underground mines for the first six months of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016. The QMA, as well as its members, plays an active role in accident prevention. Every accident is one accident too many. The safety of mine workers is extremely important, and this is why we work continually to offer safe working conditions. This really is our members' number one priority," says Josée Méthot, the QMA's president and CEO.
The seminar also provides an opportunity to recognize the work of all those who have made an outstanding contribution to health and safety during the year. "Québec mine workers, whatever their place in the system, understand the importance of health and safety in the way they plan and carry out their daily tasks, and this has made our industry a leader in the field. To reward their efforts and maintain their focus, we organize a seminar each year, which has become a key event for us all," Josée Méthot concludes.
About the Québec Mining Association
The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 45,550 jobs and total expenditure of almost $6 billion generated by Québec's mining industry. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.