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B.C. INVESTS $75,000 TO PROTECT MINE WORKERS’
SAFETY |
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VICTORIA – The provincial government is investing $75,000
in a joint project with the Aggregate
Producers Association of British Columbia to further
enhance the health and safety of British
Columbia’s aggregate mine workers, Minister of State for Mining Kevin Krueger
announced.
“The Province is dedicated
to upholding its commitment to create safer work environments for mines and
mine workers in the province,” said Krueger. “Our involvement in the Aggregate
Workplace Safety Program is part of our ongoing prevention strategy to ensure
that all mine workers receive appropriate orientation and training in the
workplace.”
The Aggregate Producers
Association of British Columbia’s (APABC) program is designed to identify
operational risks, establish skills-based safety standards and provide
employers with a flexible toolset to mitigate risks based on their own
mine-specific operational requirements.
“The joint project will be
our legacy for future generations of aggregate producers here in B.C.,” said
APABC president Brad Kohl. “For the first time ever, the aggregate industry
will have access to a unified set of best practices and the appropriate tools
to support those practices.”
The funding will enable
APABC to make the program available to all aggregate producers in the province
in a timely manner. The project is slated to conclude by March 2009.
To
maintain the safest and healthiest possible work environments in this growing
industry, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources issued a
directive to the aggregate industry to substantiate that all new workers have
received appropriate orientation and training. The ministry also recently
released the guidebook entitled Health & Safety: A Practical Guide for
Aggregate Operations.
The
Aggregate Producers Association of British Columbia is a not-for-profit
association representing aggregate producers, suppliers, and associates
throughout the province of British Columbia. APABC does not represent all
employers in the industry.
One
of the four cornerstones of the British Columbia Mining Plan is the commitment
to uphold and build on B.C.’s strong environmental and safety standards.
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 250 213-6934 (cell) |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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