Nutrien’s potash mines achieve safety excellence and lead emergency response mine rescue skills competition

Safety is at the heart of every successful mining operation and Nutrien’s Rocanville potash mine has proven its dedication to creating a safe working environment. The mines outstanding safety performance in 2022 has earned them the esteemed John T. Ryan Regional Safety Trophy in the Regional Select Trophy category for Western Canada.

This trophy, presented by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, is awarded to the operation that achieves the lowest reportable injury rate among select mines in the region. This recognition showcases Rocanville’s exceptional safety record and highlights its commitment to Nutrien’s Culture of Care and reflects the collective effort of the entire site which prioritizes safety in its daily operations.

“Workplace safety at the Rocanville mine is ever evolving and always striving to improve. The consistency of our site safety success is through employee engagement and ownership,” says Jarvis Olsen, Safety Manager, Rocanville. “This is most evident in our employee-driven process called STAR (Safety Together at Rocanville), where workers observe one another and provide the feedback necessary for continued safe work. The STAR process is led by our hourly workforce, supported by site leadership and has become the cornerstone of safety for our site.”

In recognition of this accomplishment, Justin Young, General Manager, Rocanville, and Jarvis Olsen were presented with the trophy at the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA) awards ceremony commemorating their team’s safety success and celebrating their outstanding performance and dedication to safety.

“The award is nice recognition for the entire team of employees at Rocanville who are working towards the goal of “Home Safe Every Day”,” says Jarvis. “Having said that, we don’t ever want to rest on our laurels and slip backward. This award will provide new energy to continue our safety journey to prevent all workplace injuries.”

But safety excellence doesn't stop there. The mining industry continues to promote preparedness and skillful rescues through events like the SMA’s Annual Emergency Response Mine Rescue Skills Competition. This thrilling competition brought together teams from various mining companies across Saskatchewan in early June, showcasing their rescue capabilities.

Nutrien’s potash emergency response teams proudly participated in the competition, showing their exceptional skills and dedication to emergency response. They demonstrated their expertise, teamwork, and rapid response strategies in seven different events, earning well-deserved recognition. In the underground division, Lanigan placed first, Allan placed second, Cory placed third, Vanscoy placed fourth and Rocanville placed sixth. In the surface division, Patience Lake placed fourth.

“Congratulations on a very strong showing for Nutrien at the SMA’s latest rescue skills competition where we filled the podium against a record 18 teams,” says Chris Reynolds, EVP and President, Potash. “We want to thank the teams for all their hard work preparing for this competition and the dedication they show every day to our Culture of Care by volunteering to be a member of these emergency response teams.”

History of Mine Emergency Response Teams

Mine rescue training came into existence in Canada after a British Columbia coal mine explosion killed 32 miners in 1909. The need for mine rescue programs was well demonstrated when a 1920 underground fire claimed the lives of 39 hard-rock miners in Ontario. Although mine rescue programs had been in place along the Saskatchewan / Manitoba border prior to this time at the HBM&S Mines, mine rescue did not begin in earnest in Saskatchewan until 1955 when Jack Crisp from HBM&S began training Eldorado miners in the Uranium City area.

Today, Saskatchewan emergency response programs involve nearly 500 volunteers providing coverage at underground, solution and open pit mines. These volunteers are trained by qualified instructors and are maintained in a state of readiness should an emergency situation occur. The Saskatchewan Mining Association has developed a Mutual Aid Agreement that outlines how the mining community will help each other in the time of emergency.