In light of two tragic, fatal incidents at Round Mountain and Tasiast in recent weeks, Kinross held a global Safety Stand-Down across all operations on November 19.
We came together as a Company in solidarity, to remember and honour the deceased, refocus on safety, and pause for introspection to review our protocols and systems.
Paul Tomory, Executive Vice-President and Chief Technical Officer, and Ed Opitz, Vice-President, Safety and Sustainability, hosted sessions at all operations with participation from Paul Rollinson, our senior leadership team and Senior Vice-Presidents of Operations to discuss safety and ensure all necessary actions were being taken to identify blind spots and mitigate risks.
Site management have held or will hold Safety Stand-Downs to evaluate controls, procedures and areas for improvement and all employees are asked to come forward with recommendations on proactive steps we can take to prevent fatalities in the future. The key findings will then be shared and implemented into our safety management systems.
“We’ve maintained a strong safety record over the last two years and these tragic incidents are a reminder that our efforts need to be continuous and reinforced every day,” said J. Paul Rollinson, President & CEO. “This Stand-Down is an opportunity to reflect and ensure we remind ourselves of potential hazards and always look at ways to eliminate risks.”
During the sessions, all our sites showed solidarity with Round Mountain and Tasiast, as was summarized by Keith Arens, Health & Safety Manager, Fort Knox, who said: “We are them, and they are us.”
