Gibraltar Mine personnel accepting the John Ash Award from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, at the 2014 Mine Safety Awards ceremony held on March 23,
Gibraltar Mine personnel accepting the John Ash Award from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, at the 2014 Mine Safety Awards ceremony held on March 23, 2015.
Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO; NYSE MKT: TGB) ("Taseko" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its Gibraltar Mine has received the 2014 John Ash Safety Award presented by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
This prestigious award goes to the mining operation in British Columbia with the lowest injury-frequency rate that has worked at least one million hours during the year. Gibraltar worked over 1.7 million hours during 2014 with zero lost time accidents.
Russell Hallbauer, President & CEO of Taseko Mines Limited, stated, "Operating with employee health and safety and the environment held paramount is the foundation of a world class operation. We do not take safety for granted and it is a concerted effort to ensure that safety is at the forefront of every employee's decision and action. Not only did Gibraltar employees have the lowest injury-frequency rate of all BC mines in 2014, but they also achieved an entire calendar year without a single lost time accident. The accident free period continues and now exceeds two million worker hours and is a real reflection of the high standards at Gibraltar. We are proud of our employees for this accomplishment and their ongoing commitment to health and safety, an important aspect of their work lives."
Mr. Hallbauer continued, "Following the Mount Polley tailings dam incident in August 2014, the integrity of all tailings storage facilities in BC and around the world were called into question. Unlike Mount Polley's earth and rock dam, the main Gibraltar dam is constructed from cycloned sand and the majority of the perimeter of the pond is original ground. Most of the recommendations made by the Mount Polley Expert Independent Geotechnical Review Panel are already in place at Gibraltar and have been for many years. The method of separating sand and water using cyclones has been the primary method for years at many BC mines, including Gibraltar, and we believe it provides the highest level of dam integrity. In August 2014, all BC mines operating tailings storage facilities were ordered to conduct a Dam Safety Inspection (DSI) by a third party qualified engineering firm. Additionally, the DSI was to be reviewed by an independent qualified third party engineering firm. The DSI which was performed at Gibraltar confirmed that Gibraltar's tailings dam was satisfactory in all areas with no safety or dam structure concerns. The third party review confirmed the DSI results with no additional recommendations."
"These are just two examples of the high standards of care that Gibraltar and Taseko provides for its employees' health and safety and also for the environment that we share with our neighbours," concluded Mr. Hallbauer.
The Mine Safety Awards were established in 1961 by the British Columbia Minister of Mines and Petroleum Resources to recognize the safety record of mines in the province. Each year, these awards honour mining operations for their safety accomplishments. The Mine Safety Awards consist of three competitions and seven different awards.
For further information on Taseko, please see the Company's website.
