www.AlaskaMiners.org 31 AMA Award Winners Presented by Chris Kennedy I am pleased to present this year’s AMA’s Hard Hat Safety Award. This award honors a group or person active in AMA who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to safety. The award recipient will demonstrate the highest safety standards, communication of safety policies and training, and have an exemplary record of incident-free days, hours, or other milestones. Awards may go to an operating mine, project, or contractor/vendor who services the mining industry in Alaska. This year’s winner received eight nominations! I’d like to read excerpts from some of them: Salcha Elementary said: This company has been a steadfast supporter of our school, providing essential resources and volunteering their time to promote safety initiatives. Their most impactful contribution came during a recent district-wide event held at our school. Marsh Agency said: I have had the privilege of witnessing their unwavering commitment to safety and their exceptional efforts in promoting a culture of safety within their trucking operations. They have consistently demonstrated their dedication to ensuring the highest standards of safety in every aspect of their operations. They have implemented a comprehensive range of safety practices that encompass driver training and education, regular vehicle inspections, fatigue management, speed management, defensive driving techniques, load securement, emergency preparedness, driver wellness programs, technology adoption, and a strong safety culture. Others said: This company has set the standard for safety excellence in Alaska’s trucking industry. Their commitment to safety, from driver training to real-time monitoring and emergency response, aligns perfectly with our values. Over more than seven million road miles, their performance has been exemplary, not only in meeting regulatory requirements but in going beyond to ensure the safety of their drivers, the communities they travel through, and the environment. As luck would have it, we got a submission from the Fairbanks Chamber before the convention: I wanted to share with you that we had an extreme weather event and I recently learned that this company suspended operations. I was surprised to hear that they haven’t been running trucks since Sunday. The weather event began Sunday night. I think this says a lot about their safety culture considering that the FNSB school district — who transport our most precious cargo — restarted their transportation operations yesterday. To see that a commercial transportation operation is even more cautious about road safety than the transportation operation for children speaks volumes to me. It’s clear that me that Black Gold Transport is very deserving of this year’s Hard Hat Safety Award. Congratulations! Black Gold Transport, Hard Hat Safety Award
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