In May of 2016, the De Beers Victor Mine was honoured with the John T. Ryan National Award for Mine Safety, the highest such honour for a mine in Canada. Just weeks later, a mine employee demonstrated safety how the strong safety culture at the Victor Mine extends beyond the workplace whether you are on shift or on your time off.
Marcel Nadon, a heavy duty mechanic at Victor for almost six years, arrived early for a recent night shift to help prepare coffee for the incoming crew. It was about 5:15 p.m. and he was going about his business when he noticed that a colleague who was struggling and appeared to be choking on a piece of food that had become lodged in his throat.
“He was showing all of the classic signs of choking,” explained Marcel. “He was still able to breathe and talk at first, but then the food blocked off his windpipe.”
Using the First Aid training he learned at the mine, Marcel jumped into action, talking with his colleague to make sure he wasn’t going to fall down and injure himself.
Marcel performed three quick abdominal thrusts to dislodge the article of food.
“I was pretty confident in what I was doing,” said Marcel. “It was an unnerving experience, but I was relieved and happy he was okay.”
The Victor Mine Camp Medic gave the individual the all clear in a follow-up examination.
Victor Mine received the 2015 John T. Ryan national safety award for select mines and on July 11, 2016 surpassed two years without a Lost Time Injury and is trending even lower than its award winning Reportable Injury Frequency Rate of 2015.