While every day is different for Mine Operations Supervisor Magnus Mussfeld, one thing remains the same—a clear and unwavering focus on safety for his crew.
“No matter who is asking you to complete a task, if it’s not safe and going to put someone at risk, you don’t do it,” said Magnus.
After joining New Afton as an entry-level miner in 2010 as part of the mine’s very first cohort training program, Magnus gained experience in different roles before settling in as a supervisor. He and the other supervisors in his position manage crews of up to 20 or more people, helping the mine meet production targets safely.
“Obviously, there are production numbers we’re trying to hit,” he added. “But I’ve found if you’re consistent about doing work safely instead of quickly, the productivity comes naturally and you don’t have to force it.”
Magnus is one of several employees across the company to receive a Gold Standard Supervisor Safety Recognition award, which recognizes operational supervisors and their crews who reach certain working hour milestones without incidents. Magnus and his crew surpassed 150,000 hours without injury last year.
“It sounds like a lot, and it is, but what I’m focused on is getting everyone home safely at the end of each day, not the numbers,” said Magnus. “The award represents many people making safety their job, so it’s definitely something to be proud of.”
Andrew Meyer, Senior Mine Supervisor at Rainy River Mine, also received an award for reaching 100,000 hours with his crew and says that recognizing safety performance in this way spotlights its importance.
“It was a great feeling to be presented with the award in front of the crew and thank them for all the hours worked safely,” said Andrew. “When we focus on safety first, we bring issues or opportunities forward that can be addressed or improved for everyone.”
While winning awards wasn’t the motivation for fostering a safe work environment for either of them, Magnus adds that recognition is an important aspect of the health and safety culture at New Gold.
“It doesn’t matter what form it is, if it’s an award or not, positive reinforcement reminds everyone that the whole point is to look after one another like it’s our job, because it is.”
