EMA Safety Achievement Awards Recognize Industry’s Commitment to Safety

Santa Rosa, Calif., May 9, 2024 – The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) today presented awards to six EMA members recognizing their commitment to safety. EMA’s Safety Achievement Awards program is run in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and were presented at EMA’s Annual Conference.

“Ensuring that employees in this industry make it home safely to their loved ones each and every day is a top priority for the industry,” said Chris Greissing, EMA president. “Without the commitment industry employees make each and every day, we could not provide the essential minerals needed for our daily lives. Providing safe and healthy work environments is our commitment back to them.”

EMA’s Safety Achievement Awards recognize the best reportable injury rate for an individual EMA member company’s entire operation across all of the mines they operate in North America and for an individual EMA member company site location. Awards area made by size of operations as well: large company (700,000 or more employee hours), medium company (100,000 to 699,999 employee hours), and small company (fewer than 100,000 employee hours.

The 2023 Company Safety Achievement Awards were presented to:

• Şişecam, Green River, WY, Large Company
  879,890 employee hours with two injuries, for an all-injury rate of 0.45 per 200,000 employee work hours
• Sibelco North America, Charlotte, NC, Medium Company
  397,711 employee hours with no injuries, for an all-injury rate of 0.00 per 200,000 employee work hours
• Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC, Norwalk, CT, Small Company
  67,065 employee hours with no injuries, for an all-injury rate of 0.00 per 200,000 employee work hours

The 2023 Mine Safety Achievement Awards were presented to:

• Şişecam, Green River, Wyoming, Large Mine
  879,890 employee hours with two injuries, for an all-injury rate of 0.45 per 200,000 employee work hours
• Imerys, Sylacauga Operations, Sylacauga, AL, Medium Mine
  564,675 employee hours with no injuries, for an all-injury rate of 0.00 per 200,000 employee work hours
• Cimbar Resources, Inc., Houston Barite Plant, Houston, TX, Small Mine
  88,165 hours with no injuries, for an all-injury rate of 0.00 per 200,000 employee work hours

EMA and the MSHA also maintain an alliance to develop materials and products that can be used to improve the safety and health of the workforce in our industry. MSHA and EMA have agreed to work to improve miner safety and health through cooperative efforts in education and training, technical assistance, mining industry outreach and communications. The Alliance was originally formed in 2003, renewed again in 2004 and 2023. The alliance continues to generate a wealth of safety and health products.

The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) is the representative voice for companies that extract and process a vital and beneficial group of raw materials and minerals, which are the essential ingredients for many of the products used in everyday life. Formerly, the Industrial Minerals Association – North America, EMA ensures that the voices of its member companies and the socio-economic benefits they provide – from mining to end-use products – are heard by government leaders as well as the general public. Visit essentialminerals.org to learn more.

#