SILVER
Alan Wakefield, Supervisor, Bald Mountain
“Everyone always wants to have Alan involved in their maintenance projects because he is passionate and genuine – and also goal-oriented and driven,” said Scott Olsen, Manager, Ore Processing, Bald Mountain, and one of Alan’s nominators. “Our ore processing department is hard on equipment and we always require lots of attention. Alan is the guy that keeps our plants running.”
Alan has worked at Bald Mountain since 2001 and is committed to finding efficiencies in every project that he takes on while keeping safety at the forefront.
Safety is so important to Alan that he has created educational presentations to drive the message of safety to all employees.
With his safety focus, Alan led an overhaul of the mine’s refuelling stations. Bald Mountain previously had manual gas stations for operators to re-fuel their vehicles. These stations required operators to climb ladders and stand on uneven ground to re-fuel, and took them away from their radios to alert them of possible blasts or issues at the site. To ensure everyone’s safety, Alan and his team redesigned the stations so that they are now operated by remote control. The new stations reduce the risk of injury for operators, as they no longer have to get out of their vehicles, while also making the process more efficient.
Another example of Alan’s commitment to operational excellence is a recent project – he managed the electrical, programing and mechanical portion of connecting the north plant with the south plant to increase solution flow and production. The project was initially expected to cost hundreds of thousands in contractor fees. Looking for a way to avoid these extra costs, Alan inspired his crew to come up with ways they could take on the additional work. Instead of bidding the project out to contractors, his team was able to devise a plan to manage the project – while maintaining their regular maintenance projects and schedules – to save all the potential contractor fees.
Whether it be in electrical programming, maintenance or ore processing, he always has a solution that will improve operations and save money. Because of this, Alan is in demand at Bald Mountain!
Alan at work at Bald Mountain with colleagues
