MELBOURNE, Australia — The contract aviation industry is furthering the adoption of a single international aviation risk standard, with mining companies Mineral Resources (MRL) and SSR Mining joining the Flight Safety Foundation’s Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program as BARS Member Organizations (BMOs).
Prior to joining BARS, MRL and SSR Mining’s operations utilized the services of a range of aircraft operators (AO) across the globe to transport their employees. As there are wide variations in how companies assess the safety of outsourced air operations, AOs are subject to multiple audits annually.
BARS Program Director David Anderson said the BARS is one of only three standards globally recognized in aviation and the only standard applicable for contracted aviation suppliers.
“Implementing a single standard reduces the audit burden on the operator, provides consistency and standardization, and saves both the mining sector and the aviation suppliers a significant amount of money and time,” Anderson said.
“Our standard comes from the industry, and we have become a conduit of collaborative information to promote safety among companies on the other side of the world, which is why we are so pleased to be seeing in next year with more members on board for the BARS Program.”
Headquartered in Australia and the United States, respectively, MRL and SSR Mining’s global footprint spans USA, Turkey, Canada, Australia, and Argentina.
SSR Mining Director Health, Safety and Risk, Andrew Lewin said he saw joining the BARS Program as an investment in improving aviation safety within the mining industry. “BARS provides an opportunity to raise standards across our aviation partners in managing the risk to our employees and contractors,” Lewin said.
MRL Exploration Safety Superintendent Alistair Christie said backing a consistent and globally recognised aviation standard is aligned with the company’s commitment to supporting the safety of its employees.
“MRL’s success is driven by our people, including our committed fly-in-fly-out workforce across our iron ore and lithium operations,” he said.
“We look forward to working with the Flight Safety Foundation to continue strengthening aviation safety across our business and the Mining industry in general.”
As BMO’s MRL and SSR Mining and their aircraft operators will contribute audit and incident data to identify safety risks (non-conformities) and develop solutions to advance the safety of the contract aviation industry.
The BARS Program released data this year demonstrating that the onshore resource sector is on a downward trend in fatal accidents. The dataset includes all known accidents associated with the mining sector and covers all aviation activities, including passenger operations, aerial mustering, survey, helicopter sling loads, powerline construction and cargo.
Anderson said the downward trend demonstrates the impact of organizations implementing a consistent global standard. “Flight Safety Foundation, through the BARS Program, is proud to be a part of this ongoing
investment in improving aviation safety within the mining industry and the aircraft operators supporting this sector,” he said.
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About Flight Safety Foundation and BARS
Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, international and impartial non-profit that exists to champion the cause of aviation safety. The Foundation established the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program in 2010 to review aviation operators providing aviation services to the resources and other sectors. The BARS Program is made up of a suite of risk-based aviation industry standards with supporting implementation guidelines.
About Mineral Resources
Mineral Resources (MRL) is an innovative and leading mining services company with a growing portfolio of world-class mining operations across multiple commodities including iron ore and lithium. Leveraging its existing footprint, infrastructure and skill set, MRL continues to grow a strong and diversified portfolio in mining services and operations.
About SSR Mining
SSR Mining is a Denver-based gold and silver producer with operations and exploration in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Turkey and the United States.
Media Contact:
Kate Cullen (Cole Lawson Communications)
+61499 770 147
kate.cullen@colelawson.com.au
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