Whether they are above or below ground, operating heavy equipment bigger than most houses, or handling serious chemicals, miners take their safety and the safety of others very seriously.
Whether they are above or below ground, operating heavy equipment bigger than most houses, or handling serious chemicals, miners take their safety and the safety of others very seriously.
Teams participating in the 36th Annual Safety Olympiad, taking place in Winnemucca this year Aug. 16-18 at the Winnemucca Fairgrounds, will face a series of simulated emergency situations that could potentially occur at any point at a mine. Their objective is to exercise proper safety response protocols that could save lives in the event of an emergency.
“Our goal is to train and train to never need our skills, so we try to be proactive as safety leaders on site," said Nevada Gold Mines Surface Chief Emergency Response Coordinator for Turquoise Ridge Travis Petersen. "However, in the event that the Emergency Response Team (ERT) needs to respond, this training and experience will better prepare them for a real event."
Petersen said having trained responders on site lends a feeling of security, as well.
“I feel it helps comfort the workforce and management to know that we have well trained personnel on site that are trained and willing to drop what they are doing and help their fellow co-workers," he said. "Most mines are a great distance from city resources, so it also offers a quick response with a high level of care.”
Eleven teams of nine people will be participating this year— eight from Northern Nevada, two from Wyoming and one team from Utah—according to Petersen. The teams do not know exactly what type of scenario they will be given, but they can involve hazmat, triage, fire fighting, administering emergency medical services, responding to vehicle accidents, using ropes to move an injured victim from an elevated space (called Rope Rescue) and dealing with harmful gasses in the atmosphere (referred to as Confined Space).
Nevada Mining Association Director of Strategic Communication Alex Walden said in an email that “When you create a culture where safety and health are valued, it doesn’t just stop when they drive off the mine site. Those individuals are trained to identify and mitigate potentially hazardous situations, or to respond quickly and appropriately when they do occur. There is a much higher ratio of first responders in rural Nevada communities than the urban communities, so this type of training can potentially benefit anyone with an emergency in the future. There is more than one example of a mine rescue volunteer being the first to arrive on scene to a car crash [off the mine site] and every moment counts when someone is in danger.”
The event is open to the public and a food vendor will be present on Aug. 18 when all of the teams will take on the final scenario. The teams will go through a series of different team building exercises, getting to know each other and learning from each other, practice major safety disciplines and critical thinking, and watch how the other teams work through the same scenario on the final day.
“While the event itself is interesting and engaging to watch, we also want to remind folks to come cheer on these important people who volunteer their time and effort to ensure the safety of those around them. You never know what you could learn or see that could potentially help someone else someday,” said Walden.
Going home to loved ones at the end of the work day safe and healthy is everyone’s goal, arguably more so than any other aspect of mining. Members of ERT train to make sure that even if an unlikely emergency situation happens, both employees and the public can have confidence that the training and skills gained and practiced during the Olympiad result in lives being saved.
“Because the safety culture and the mines are a huge priority, our skills are rarely needed. By being involved in the ERT, we gain skills and knowledge that we can take home to assist in our communities and with our friends and families,” said Petersen.
This is the first time the Olympiad will take place in Winnemucca in over three decades as it has been held in Elko in the past. Winnemucca Convention and Visitors Authority Director Kim Petersen said in a phone call that the Olympiad will be very good for Humboldt County’s economy with teams coming and renting hotel rooms, fueling up, eating and shopping at local businesses.
“The annual mine rescue (competition) is a staple event that teams look forward to all year. Moving the venue to Winnemucca provides a centralized location in Northern Nevada, which increases the range of participating teams," Walden said. "Additionally, having 10 teams of 8-14 people each, all staying in the local community for about 5 days provides lots of meals, team bonding, and opportunities for local Winnemucca businesses to increase revenues from the influx of visitors to the community.”