Victor Mine Wins John T. Ryan National Safety Award

De Beers Ontario Operation Reported Zero Lost Time Injuries During 2015

CALGARY, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - De Beers Victor Mine, Ontario's first and only diamond mine, is the recipient the national John T. Ryan Award for 2015, Canada's most celebrated award for mine safety. The award was presented at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Awards Gala in Vancouver, B.C. on May 2.

Victor Mine received the award in the Select Mines category in recognition of its outstanding safety performance in 2015. During the year, the Victor Mine team had zero Lost Time Incidents (LTIs) and recorded the lowest overall reportable injury rate among all mines in Ontario.

Kim Truter, De Beers Chief Executive Officer, Canada, congratulated the Victor team for their outstanding safety performance.

"I am extremely proud of the Victor Mine team, who consistently demonstrate safety leadership for not only De Beers in Canada, but for De Beers and Anglo American around the world. This prestigious award is a testament to their on-going commitment to mining diamonds safely and without harm to people or the environment."

Victor Mine General Manager James Kirby, who accepted the award on behalf of the team, said this award is the result of De Beers employees and contract partners taking individual responsibility for all areas of safety and addressing them before an incident happens.

"From veterans to new employees, the positive and proactive safety culture is embedded across all aspects of the mine where everyone understands if a task can't be done safety, we'll stop and make it safe. It's not just De Beers' employees who are living up to this commitment, but also our contract partners who share this recognition as we pull together as one team to make our workplace safe for all."

The J.T. Ryan Award has been awarded annually since 1941.

The De Beers Victor Mine is a remote fly-in/fly-out open pit operation in the James Bay Lowlands in northern Ontario, and one of just two remote mines in the province.  In 2009, the De Beers Victor Mine was named 'International Mine of the Year' by the readers of Mining Magazine.

About The De Beers Group of Companies

De Beers is a member of the Anglo American group. Established in 1888, De Beers is the world's leading diamond company with unrivalled expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers employs more than 20,000 people (directly and as contractors) across the diamond pipeline, and is the world's largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As part of the company's operating philosophy, the people of De Beers are committed to Living up to Diamonds by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work, and transforming natural resources into shared national wealth. For further information about De Beers visit www.debeersgroup.com.

SOURCE De Beers Canada Corporation

Tom Ormsby, Head of External and Corporate Affairs, De Beers Canada, Tel: [phone] Cell, [email protected]