Workers at the Troy Mine received a national award last weekend after two years of impressive workplace safety. 

The National Mining Association’s 2013 Sentinels of Safety Award was presented to workers from the Troy Mine in Washington, D.C. The award, coincidentally, was presented just one month after the Troy mine celebrated two years without a lost time accident or reportable injury.

Revett Minerals, Inc. President and CEO John Shanahan, in an email to The Western News, noted the accomplishment and added that it was “quite a feat given some of the issues we experienced underground at Troy in late 2012 and the fact that our employees took on a number of different working roles in the first half of 2013.”

Shanahan lauded the local employees of the Troy Mine, “we’ve got excellent people up there. The employees are world class. I’ve been on mining projects around the world and these people are top notch.”

He also credited local management — Operations Vice President Doug Miller and Safety Manager Austin Wilson — for the mine’s outstanding safety record. According to Shanahan, Revett has worked to create a safety culture, not just on the job but also in every aspect of their employees’ lives. They implemented a “Taking Safety Home” program that, up to certain levels, reimbursed employees for purchases of safety equipment for use at home. Such equipment includes safety glasses, fire extinguishers, ladder straps and other gear.

“This is a very prestigious award,” Wilson said. “We’re very proud of our local workforce. It speaks volumes that with our future in the air they kept their heads down and worked hard, and did it safely, without a scratch.”

After seismic activity at the Troy Mine in late 2012, Revett voluntarily suspended operations and closed the mine to evaluate overall safety. After careful study, it was decided the safest approach was to complete a new development bed and bypass the impacted areas.

Revett spokeswoman Monique Hayes said the underground crusher at Troy is back up and running. Hayes said roughly 65 employees are back to work at the mine. She also said the company plans to hire an additional 30 employees by the end of 2014 as production ramps back up.

Revett anticipates returning the mine to full production by mid-year 2015, which is estimated to include a total of 175 employees. The Troy Mine is estimated to have approximately 12 years of productive life remaining. In the meantime, Revett is hoping to finish the permitting process on their Rock Creek project by the end of 2015 and hope to break ground early in early 2016.