click to enlarge images
All Workers Involved in Making Endeavour a Safe Place to Work |
Weekly Safety Meetings at Endeavour |
Our Safety Staff |
We Aim to Preserve the Environment Where We Work |
Green Areas Were Added |
Planting Seedlings |
Remediated Our Tailings Dam and Expansion is Still in Progress |
Christmas Dinner Party for the Community |
Christmas Celebration for Endeavour and the Community |
Local Christmas Celebrations at Endeavour's Colonia |
|  |
Social Responsibility at Endeavour Silver starts with our commitment towards the safety, health and welfare of our employees, the environment and the communities in which we work.
Safety is the number one priority in our mining operations. Safety is not just a goal, it is a process and a culture developed over time. When we acquired the Guanacevi Mine in 2004 and Guanajuato Mine in 2007, there were no safety policies or practices in place and both operations exposed the workers to unacceptable levels of risk. Our immediate goal at each operation was to bring the safety practices up to basic North American standards. We are pleased to say that we achieved this within our first year at each operation, at considerable time and expense to the Company. Our long term goal is to maintain the highest standard of safety practices at each of Endeavour's mining operations through ongoing training and monitoring programs.
The health and welfare of our employees and the communities in which we work also receive primary consideration in how Endeavour goes about its business. We strive to enhance the health and welfare of our people by doing simple things such as drug and alcohol testing at work. We try to improve the quality of life in the local communities by helping the local ejidos, schools, churches with community projects such as providing clean water, cleaning up litter and sponsoring sports teams. Our goal is for our mining operations to make a positive difference in peoples lives on an ongoing basis.
Supporting a healthy environment is also a key policy of the Company. In every aspect of our operations, we try to minimize any potentially negative impacts of our mining operations through pro-active environmental programs. In Guanacevi, Endeavour has planted over 20,000 tree seedlings in the past 4 years to help recover the drill access roads and sites to their natural state. At Guanjuato, we built a tunnel passing below the new tailings storage area so that the natural creek and rain waters can pass downstream without mixing with the mill waters, which are 100% recycled back to the plant.
These are just a few examples of Endeavour's policies to conduct our business in a socially responsible way. Endeavour Silver is motivated to make important contributions to the quality of life in the local Mexican communities where we work, complementing but not compromising the community's values and culture. For more information regarding the Company's social programs and policies, please visit our website www.edrsilver.com.
The following is an overview of the work Endeavour accomplished in 2008:
GUANACEVI MINES
Safety
- Hired more safety staff, built a new safety building, expanded safety policies, regulations and training with 4,000 hours of training programmed for 2009.
- Trained a fully functional mine rescue team now totaling 16 men, they were called upon to assist in an accident at another local mine.
- Instituted weekly safety meetings for all employees and contractors on site, initiated a Safety Monitor System to maintain and improve safety standards on an ongoing basis
- Incorporated the annual Chairman's Award to recognize the operation with the best safety record, incorporated the quarterly President's Award to recognize three people in Plant, Mine and Administration who were key in delivering the best safety record.
Environmental
- More green areas added near the plant and town, trees planted to help recover the drill access roads and sites, expanded the nursery to grow our own trees.
- The tailings dam expanded and strengthened, grass planted to control possible erosion, rock-work completed in the adjacent creek to improve the natural water-flow.
- New temporary storage area built to hold waste oil and other toxic substances until they are sent for proper disposal.
- Environmental audits returned 100% compliance, inspections by SEMARNAT and PROFEPA (Mexican Environmental Agencies) had zero issues.
Community
- Renewed land use agreement with the local ejido, donated construction materials and fruit trees to local ejido
- Surveyed the airport on behalf of the local municipality
- Installed a 4-kilometre long water pipe for a local ranch
- Painted kindergarten in the local community.
- Donated toys and cakes to all children in local schools on"Dia del Niño" (April 30), held Christmas party and donated more than 800 Christmas gifts to local children
- Donated funds to local Church for Vestuario de los Matachines (Indigenes) and celebration of Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe for the Community (December 8-12).
- Donated funds to local Municipality to build Miners Statue for Miners Día del Minero
- Donated home goods to all local mothers in May for "Mothers Day".
- Donated uniforms to high school Soccer Team at "Escuela Secundaria Técnica #33", and to "Endeavour" Soccer Team of local people (not employees).
GUANAJUATO MINES
Safety
- Hired more safety staff, expanded safety policies, regulations and training with 10,000 hours of training programmed for 2009.
- Trained a fully functional mine rescue team totaling 16 men, they were called upon to assist in an accident at another local mine.
- Instituted weekly safety meetings for all employees and contractors on site, initiated a Safety Monitor System to maintain and improve safety standards on an ongoing basis
- Incorporated the annual Chairman's Award to recognize the operation with the best safety record, incorporated the quarterly President's Award to recognize three people in Plant, Mine and Administration who were key in delivering the best safety record.
Environmental
- Cleaned up mine and plant areas, recycled scrap metals, removed contaminated soils for proper disposal, planted trees to help recover the drill access roads and sites
- Built a tunnel passing below tailings area so natural creek and rain waters can pass downstream without mixing with tailings water, which is 100% recycled back to plant
- New temporary storage area built to hold waste oil and other toxic substances until they are sent for proper disposal.
- Commenced environmental audits to bring mine and plant sites into 100% compliance with SEMARNAT and PROFEPA
Community
- Sponsored community event and donated food and drinks.
- Supported the 25th May Pilgrimage "Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato", donated Tshirts.
- Donated two mine cars to local town for mining display in the plaza.
- Donated construction materials to make rock-wall for flood control in one local community, and a perimeter wall in another local community.
- Donated lights and electrical circuits for the dump station of the local community.
- Donated uniforms to "Endeavour" Soccer Team of local people (includes employees).
- Held Christmas Party and donated more than 1,000 Christmas gifts to local children.
Endeavour Silver was nominated at the "Silver Summit 2009 " show and won an award for "Outstanding Service/Social Responsibility" in the community in which it works. Particularly, Endeavour Silver won an award for making safety a number one priority and a lifestyle at its mines.
| |
