THE HORNE SMELTER RECEIVES SAFETY AWARD
Rouyn-Noranda, July 5th 2010
For the second consecutive year, the Horne Smelter was honoured to receive the F.J. O’Connell Trophy for safety in the category of surface operations, transportation and metallurgical primary processing on 14 June at the Quebec Mining Association’s 2010 Annual General Meeting.
The Quebec Mining Association awards the F.J. O’Connell Trophy every year to the mining company that has shown the most significant occupational safety improvements as a way of acknowledging companies’ efforts and their positive performance.
Over the years, the Horne Smelter’s improving incident prevention results is evidence of the importance that the company’s senior management and employees attach to safety and health in the workplace.
“The F.J. O’Connell Trophy is a tribute to every one of the smelter’s employees, and to the contractors who work with us. In recent years, we have shown patent leadership in occupational safety. We constantly strive to reach zero injuries, our ultimate goal,” says Horne Smelter General Manager Claude Bélanger. “The ongoing improvement in our workplace safety results is the product of real teamwork, and I wish to thank our employees and contractors for their commitment.”
In 2009, the Horne Smelter improved its total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIFR) by 31% over 2008 and has achieved an almost 80% improvement over the last three years.
Ends
For further information:
Mireille Grenier, Coordinator, Communications and Community Relations
Xstrata Copper Canada, Horne Smelter
Telephone: 819 762-7764, extension 2012
Cell: 819 763-0534
mgrenier@xstratacopper.ca
ABOUT XSTRATA PLC
Xstrata is a global diversified mining group, listed on the London and Swiss Stock Exchanges, with its headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. Xstrata’s businesses maintain a meaningful position in seven major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc, with a growing platinum group metals business, additional exposures to gold, cobalt, lead and silver, recycling facilities and a suite of global technology products, many of which are industry leaders. The Group's operations and projects span 19 countries.
ABOUT XSTRATA COPPER
Xstrata Copper is the fourth largest global copper producer with attributable mined production in 2009 of 907,000 tonnes of copper in cathodes and concentrates. The company is also one of the world’s largest producers of smelter and refined copper, including from third party materials.
Headquartered in Brisbane, Xstrata Copper is one of the commodity business units within the major global diversified mining group Xstrata plc. Its mining and metallurgical operations and development projects span eight countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the USA. Its operations and projects are administered through a regional divisional management structure, which ensures that critical decisions are taken close to the related businesses. It also has a recycling business (Xstrata Recycling) with plants in the United States and offices in Canada and Asia.
ABOUT THE HORNE SMELTER
Xstrata Copper Canada’s Horne Smelter is a metallurgical plant known world-wide for its copper processing activities. The smelter produces 200,000 tonnes of copper annually in addition to precious metals. In addition to a renowned expertise in the area of complex copper concentrate processing, the smelter is the largest and most advanced recycling plant of its kind in North America. The operations in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, employ 750 people, including contractors.
ABOUT THE F. J. O’CONNELL TROPHY
Named after a mining engineer acknowledged as one of the most fervent promoters of mine safety in Quebec, the F.J. O’Connell Trophy is awarded by the Quebec Mining Association (QMA) at its Annual general meeting. The trophy recognizes those companies in Quebec that have shown the year’s most significant improvements mine and plant safety.