Canadian Award for Safest Mining Project Construction

EDMONTON, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM), and Hatch Ltd., a global engineering, procurement and construction management company, today announced the establishment of the Hatch-CIM Mining and Minerals Project Construction Safety Award, which will annually honor best construction safety practices and project management results.

"This idea has been on the table for a couple of years. The construction phase of any mining and minerals projects is complex and very dynamic, offering particular challenges. Considering the good safety track record of such projects, this is an award whose time has come. We look forward to receiving numerous submissions for consideration and will surely feel a great swell of pride when the first recipient walks up on the stage to receive the award next year at the awards ceremony at CIM Convention 2013 in Toronto." says CIM Executive Director, Jean Vavrek.

"At Hatch we are proud to be part of the 'safety journey' that will make the implementation of all mining and minerals projects free of harm.  Our intent is that the Hatch-CIM safety award will advance this journey by recognizing those projects that demonstrate this commitment while achieving excellent project results.", added John Bianchini, Hatch's Chief Executive Officer.

The award's selection criteria are based on joint safe execution of project work by a project owner and project company, one of which must be an active CIM member. Together, the organizations must have completed a single significant project located in Canada. All Canadian mine and processing facilities, in the metals, diamonds, industrial minerals, oil sands and coal sectors, are eligible. To be considered, projects must be 100% complete 12 months prior to award application. Applications will stand for three years but projects are only able to apply for the award once.  The first recipient of the Hatch-CIM Mining and Minerals Project Construction Safety Award will be recognized next year at the 2013 CIM Award Gala in Toronto.

A common industry safety goal is that of "No Harm" to people, plant, equipment, and the environment and communities affected by projects. The award criteria reflect the expectation of the Canadian mining industry to make outstanding safety performance a matter of course in everything it does, and to maintain a business culture in which safety is a prime value that will not be compromised.

About Hatch
Hatch is an employee-owned, multidisciplinary professional services firm that delivers a comprehensive array of strategic, technical and delivery services, including consulting, information technology, engineering, process development, and project and construction management to the Mining, Metallurgical, Energy, and Infrastructure sectors. Hatch companies have served clients for over 80 years and have project experience in more than 150 countries around the world. With 11,000 people in over 65 offices, the firm has more than $35 billion in projects currently under management.

Hatch was recently named one of the 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada, and has won more than 100 project excellence and safety awards. For more information, visit www.Hatch.ca

About CIM
The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is the leading professional association for the minerals industry with over 13,000 members across Canada and globally. CIM is dedicated to advancement of knowledge and technology as well as the facilitation of networking, fraternity and professional development for the mining industry. For more information visit www.CIM.org

SOURCE Hatch