The National Mining Association (NMA) reports that companies participating in its CORESafety system closed 2017 with zero fatalities. “The CORESafety framework is designed to drive continuous improvement in mining safety performance was born out of an industry desire to set aside competition, foster a proactive safety culture among mining companies and share best practices to protect its people,” said Hal Quinn, NMA President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re seeing more and more companies certified, and this important milestone – zero fatalities – shows that the hard work that goes into implementation pays off in the most important way.”

In 2011, the members of NMA came together to create CORESafety, a risk-based safety management system whose objective is zero fatalities and a 50% reduction in mining’s injury rate within five years of implementation. CORESafety offers a management system approach to mine safety that has won international recognition among safety experts. Its innovative approach departs from the conventional “top-down-one-size-fits-all” model to favour a scalable framework for operations of all sizes.

“This important achievement comes despite a regrettable increase in fatalities industrywide from 2016 to 2017. The safety progress from CORESafety is a reminder that our commitment to mine safety never ends as we strive for continuous improvement in preventing accidents and injuries,” added Quinn.

For more information on the CORESafety® program, visit www.coresafety.org. For 2017 mine safety data, visit the Mine Safety and Health Administration website at www.msha.gov.