Safety shared concern across sectors. (Safety).

Nobody gets up in the morning and says 'I'm going to get in an accident today.' Yet if it's the first snowfall of the season, asserts Saskatchewan Mining Association Safety Committee Chairman Tom Poulin, count on seeing three or four fender benders on the road.

It goes to show you that even in dayto-day life not everyone is prepared when conditions change. Unfortunately, it's human nature to cut a few corners when you are doing activities that are familiar to you. It is also unfortunate that accidents may happen when complacency sets in. The same dynamics at play in everyday lives are present in a mine, Poulin says, where common work activities can result in injury.

"In my mining career I've come to realize that accidents often involve the same three or four issues," he says. "I'm aware of the concerns the general public has about mining, but this is a very safe industry. It's no more or less susceptible to accidents than many other things you do."

"Many issues we have are the conventional ones you'd find in any industrial setting - the slips and falls, the strains, the hot work where you're cutting or welding, the issues that come up when you're working at an elevation."

Attitudes toward safety in mining also parallel approaches to safety in everyday life. There will always be a small percentage of people who leave safety up to someone else.

"Certainly a big push in the mining industry has been towards accountability for safety," Poulin says. Individual workers bear their share of the responsibility for safety, plus it is incumbent upon management to provide an environment supportive of a strong safety culture.

"Management has a moral and legal obligation to ensure a safe workplace."

Another link in the safety chain is the provincial government, overseers of general workplace safety through Saskatchewan Labour and mining safety in particular through the Saskatchewan Mines Regulations. It's been close to a decade since major revisions were made to regulations first introduced in 1978 and certain procedures were obsolete.

"It became time for the regulations to be more reflective of the industry so this year we have new mining regulations," Poulin says. "It is now necessary for the industry to make our people aware of the changes."

The new regulations flowed from 'meaningful consultations' among mining's stakeholders including employee representative groups and unions. Poulin believes that the stakeholders were able to arrive at a consensus without compromising either worker safety or operational efficiency.

"The new regulations address things like enhanced fire suppression techniques, minimizing the amount of fuel that can be stored in one place, improving catchment procedures to catch any spills and implementing fire suppression systems that are automatically engaged;' Poulin describes.

Efforts were also made to harmonize the regulations across Saskatchewan's mining sectors, although safety issues vary widely between surface, underground, hard rock, soft rock and uranium mining.

Poulin credits a combination of employee involvement and safe workplace management practices for a very good 2002 in terms of mine safety. Excellent results were achieved at mines across the province and the number of lost-time accidents in the industry remains low.

The annual mine rescue competition is a highlight for many workers closely connected with mine safety. Mine rescue team members are tested on the ins and outs of emergency response techniques and they practice mock situations that call on them to co-ordinate their efforts and draw upon their experience under pressure situations.

"It just prepares you for all kinds of things, all with an eye toward understanding how to effect a rescue without putting yourself in danger;' Poulin says.

Trophies for mine rescue competitions and awards for overall mine safety have their place in the industry. But the biggest reward is being able to tell people you did your part to help create a safe workplace.

"Awards are a morale booster but they don't have to be big, showy things worth thousands of dollars," Poulin says. "We tend to put more stock in the little crests on our jackets that say how many years we've had without a lost-time accident. That recognition is the big thing for a lot of guys."