Silver Winner: Jeziel Oliveira Melo – Paracatu

A champion of health and safety, Jeziel Oliveira Melo (Senior Mechanic) is genuinely concerned about the well-being of his colleagues. 

He helps to address unsafe conditions, encourages colleagues to use personal protective equipment and frequently proposes process improvements. Most importantly, he goes out of his way to identify potentially hazardous activities and ensure work is performed in safe conditions. 

Jeziel identified and helped correct a potential fall hazard at Paracatu’s Plant II last year, and also developed a safety screen to protect operators from projectiles coming out of the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill. 

“Jeziel is a natural leader. He is always willing to help and guide other employees. He is very dedicated to Kinross’ health and safety rules, and the health and safety of his fellow colleagues.”