Vale Manitoba Operations in Thompson will host the first mine rescue competition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic this May.
Scheduled for May 27-28, the competition will include a team from Vale, one from Hudbay Flin Flon, one from Hudbay Snow Lake and one from the Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada in Bernic Lake.
The competition consists of teams completing above- and below-ground scenarios, with a focus on rescue missions, first aid, firefighting and written exams. It serves as an important training tool for mine rescue teams so they are prepared to respond to real emergency situations.
“The format and timing for this year’s competition addresses the need for our provincial mine rescue teams to strengthen their mine rescue skills in ways that practice alone cannot,” said Richard Trudeau, president of the Mining Association of Manitoba, which organizes the competition. “So the teams are ready and excited to be resuming competition.”
Independent certified Manitoba mine rescue trainers Neil Spencer of Sling-Choker Mfg. (Thompson) and James Mortson of Alex MacIntyre & Associates will judge the competition.
“Effective mine rescue teams are critical to a mine’s operation, plus serve as role models to their peers in an industry that relies upon a safety-centric culture,” says Stacy Kennedy of Vale, who is the co-chair of the mining association’s mine rescue committee. “We’re eager to return to competition to ensure the skills of our mine rescue personnel remain sharp, and the industry in Manitoba continues to build on its record of strong safety performance.”
The 2022 competition is expected to be the last time that 777 Mine in Flin Flon sends a team due to its scheduled closure late this year after more than 90 years of operations, though many of the mine’s workers and mine rescue team members are expected to continue working for Hudbay at the Lalor Mine in Snow Lake next year.
