The Euromines Safety Awards ceremony held in Brussels last week recognised the outstanding efforts of European mining companies towards Health and Safety (H&S) practices. The event saw 13 mining companies from across Europe participate in the competition, with three winners emerging on top. The awards were presented to the companies that demonstrated exceptional H&S standards, which contribute to sustainable development, environmental management, and social responsibility.
Boliden, from Garpenberg Mine in Sweden, won the first prize for its “Improved Organisational and Social Work Environment” project. The company has been successful in addressing psychosocial issues in the workplace, which is one of the most common reasons for long-term sick leave. Boliden has implemented several tools and ways of working, including daily pulse meetings and monthly discussions on topics related to improving the workplace culture.
The second prize was awarded to Eldorado Gold Corporation from Turkey for its “Employee Engagement project.” The project aimed to improve safety culture and communication between white-collar and blue-collar employees through the use of an employee engagement program. Since its commissioning in December 2022, the project has shown an increase in the number of OHS engagements, leading to the development and adoption of the OHS culture.
Finally, LKAB from Sweden won the third prize for its “Safe Conveyor Belts from port-to-port” project. The company faced a complex problem as almost all conveyor rollers were unprotected, and it was not possible to buy suitable machine guards for conveyors. The project included 6 sub-projects with 23 different production units
The event was graced by a distinguished panel of judges that included Peter Handley from DG GROW, Judith Kirton-Darling from IndustriAll European Trade Union, and representatives from ANEFA, Tüprag Eldorado, Austrian Mining and Steel Association, and Euromines.
