We believe in strengthening our teams by embracing diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of our operation. For a diverse workforce to be successful, we must work toward ensuring that environmental factors that impact and support our people are inclusive and equitable, no matter the person. For example, our personal protective equipment options need to be inclusive of different body types, our leave of absence types need to be inclusive of all genders and ethnic backgrounds, and our facilities need to be inclusive of gender differences and physical abilities.
In 2022, it was recognized that our Women’s Mine Operations Dry facilities were at capacity and an expansion was required. This expansion project provided an opportunity for New Afton to not only increase the size of the existing women’s dry facilities, but to add additional facilities that are gender inclusive and accessible for persons with mobility limitations which were not previously accommodated at our site.
The women’s dry expansion saw locker, basket and shower capacities approximately doubled, with an additional fifty-seven lockers, fifty-one baskets and two shower stalls being added to the existing dry.
The accessible and inclusive dry is fully wheelchair-accessible and includes twelve lockers as well as private, fully-enclosed shower stalls and toilet spaces in both standard and wheelchair-accessible sizes. The facility is accessed by both a standard door on the north side of the building, as well as an oversized button-operated door accessed by a covered ramp on the south side of the building, making it accessible to potential users. The addition of these facilities is a significant step in supporting an equitable and inclusive environment at New Afton.
