Staying safe, staying vigilant - Agnico Eagle blog

26 June 2020

As countries cautiously begin to emerge from total lockdown, global companies like Agnico Eagle are helping communities and employees worldwide stay safe while embracing the “new normal”.
“I am very proud of our employees in Canada, Mexico and Finland who have provided unwavering support to their communities and have kept our workplaces safe,” says Sean Boyd, Agnico Eagle’s CEO. “But now is not the time to relax. We must remain vigilant at home, at work and in our communities to minimize any further spread of this virus.”   
While the needs of each community are different, Agnico Eagle’s goals are the same wherever we operate in the world: to consult with local leaders to understand community priorities; to keep our workplaces safe and Agnico Eagle family members healthy; and to share what we’ve learned on the frontlines of battling COVID-19 with our colleagues and healthcare partners.
Successful Workplace Health, Safety & Wellness Measures: By the very nature of our business, workplace health and safety is a top priority for the mining industry.  Our occupational health, hygiene and safety teams have introduced a number of successful workplace and social distancing measures including: 
•Earlier in April, Agnico Eagle moved forward with a pilot project to implement a COVID-19 mobile laboratory for testing at its Nunavut operations to provide rapid and accurate testing for COVID-19 for our employees and to help protect the communities. 
•Implementing a triage process when employees enter onsite – beginning with completing a questionnaire to identify possible symptoms before leaving home, staggered times for arriving at the mine, followed by handwashing, then having their temperature taken through thermal imaging 
•Respecting physical distancing by using a separate structure such as a tent or modular trailer with individual barriers between coworkers who are preparing for the beginning and end of their shifts;
•Sharing the responsibility for workplace housekeeping, with cleaning products readily available for everyone’s use, to disinfect all commonly touched surfaces
•Using social media to drive internal awareness campaigns on preventative measures and hygiene best practices to help everyone stay healthy and safe at work
•Helping colleagues adjust to the new remote working environment by delivering weekly physical and mental wellness tips, with information on how to access medical resources and how to achieve a healthy-work-from-home lifestyle during these challenging times