Hecla’s focus on continuous improvement is reflected in our safety-first culture.
Hecla’s extensive safety practices and standards are detailed in our Safety and Health Management System (SHMS). Our standards are designed to exceed industry best practices and comply with Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) regulations in the United States, Occupational Health and Safety in Mines regulations in Quebec, Occupational Health and Safety legislation in Yukon, and federal regulations for Occupational Health, Safety and Work Environment in Mexico.
In 2016, Hecla became the first hardrock mining company to be independently certified under the National Mining Association’s CORESafety® system, and in 2018 Casa Berardi became the first international mine to receive CORESafety® certification.
Our focus on continuous improvement of our safety and health practices and training has resulted in steady improvement of safety performance since the launch of the SHMS in 2012.
Hecla tracks safety performance and training indicators including its All-Injury Frequency Rate (AIFR), near misses, observations, equipment damages, and training hours, with a goal of reducing safety incidents and improving upon the previous year’s performance. In 2023:
Hecla implements several programs designed to raise awareness of its safety culture and help employees develop skills that enable them to perform their work in a safe and healthy way. These programs include the SAFETY: Take it Home campaign and the Hecla Take 5 Safety Focus Program, which fosters continuous improvement by improving job site awareness and decreasing exposure to high and critical risk activities at each job site.
Hecla’s Casa Berardi mine was awarded the John T. Ryan Safety Trophy for the Quebec-Maritime Provinces Region for outstanding safety performance for the second time in three years. The annual award is presented by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum to the mine with the lowest reportable injury frequency.
Lucky Friday won the overall competition at the Central Mine Rescue Competition. This annual event trains and prepares mine rescue teams and individual members for emergency response. Lucky Friday won first place in team tech, field, and rope categories and second place in first aid. Our Greens Creek technician team placed second for expertise at keeping life-sustaining equipment in first order.
Hecla’s Greens Creek operation received the annual Hard Hat Safety Award from the Alaska Miners Association. The award recognizes exemplary commitment to safety through communication, training, safety record, and adherence to standards.
Our Fire Creek mine in Nevada won the Sentinels of Safety Award from the National Mining Association for the second year in a row. Sentinels of Safety are awarded annually to the safest mines in the U.S. with a minimum of 4,000 injury-free hours.
Hecla employees who work at our Nevada locations received 2023 Safety Awards from the Nevada Mining Association (NVMA). Each year, NVMA celebrates industry professionals whose outstanding efforts ensure mine workers return home safely after every shift.
Hecla received the 2023 Mine Safety and Health Technology Metal Sector Innovation Award from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for developing the Underhand Closed Bench (UCB) method for underground mining
Our SAFETY: Take It Home campaign contest showcased how Hecla’s employees and contractors promote safety protocols learned on the job to their families at home.
