At the end of August, mine rescue teams from around the globe met in Sudbury, Canada, for the 10th International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC), hosted by Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue. Twenty-seven teams representing 13 nations competed in different disciplines. The overall winner was the team from Kirkland Lake Gold.
“The 10th International Mines Rescue Competition was a real milestone in the competition’s history. The event’s organizers, Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue, focused on a realistic setting with educational benefits,” said Dräger Business Manager of mining for North America Kathryn Kasper.
Both the mine rescue and firefighting events were set in real underground mining operations. A network of cameras was used to send a live transmission to a public viewing area. This created a unique opportunity for all to share with and learn from each other.
The next event will be the IMRB conference in 2017 in Russia.
Results of the IMRC 2016:
Emergency Underground Scenario:
1st–Canada, Kirkland Lake Gold
2nd–Canada, Compass Minerals, Goderich mine
3rd–Ireland, Boliden Tara MinesFirefighting:
1st–Poland, Bytom
2nd–USA, MSHA Mine Emergency Unit No. 1
3rd–Canada, Cameco McArthur RiverFirst Aid:
1st–Australia, Peabody Energy Wambo Coal
2nd–Ireland, Bolden Tara Mines
3rd–Canada, Cameco McArthur RiverHigh Angle Rope Rescue:
1st–Poland, KGHM White Eagles
2nd–Canada, Cameco McArthur River
3rd–Canada, Vale Sudbury West MinesTheory:
1st–Canada, Compass Minerals, Goderich mine
2nd–Goldcorp Americas
3rd–Canada, Vale Sudbury West MinesTechnical:
1st–Russia, EMERCOM
2nd–China, Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Group
3rd–USA, MSHA Mine Emergency Unit No. 1
