[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16334-16335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             BUCKSKIN MINE

 Mr. ENZI. Madam President, I rise today with great pride to 
speak about another Wyoming success story. I am very pleased to have 
this opportunity to extend our congratulations to the Buckskin Mine, 
which is located in my home State of Wyoming, for the outstanding 
record of safety they were able to compile in 2012. The mine's focus on 
safety and the great results they were able to achieve speak volumes 
about the mine and the care and attention they give to safety and to 
keeping their employees safe at work.
  I have often heard it said that successful safety and health programs 
don't just ``happen.'' They take a great deal of time and effort and 
they result from a teamwork approach that involves everyone from the 
owner of the mine to the dedicated and hard-working team that works in 
the mine every day. That means this safety award was earned by everyone 
at the mine.
  It is no secret. Working in a mine is a difficult and dangerous job, 
and it requires every worker to look out for their own safety as well 
as their fellow workers' safety. That kind of diligence, exercised 
every day, is what helps to ensure that all our workers will make a 
safe return home at the end of the day to be with their families.
  Simply put, that is why the Buckskin Mine is receiving this 
recognition. Their staff goes the extra mile every day to make sure 
their mine is as safe as it can possibly be. The culture of workplace 
safety that is then created helps to keep each of their workers focused 
on safety throughout the day. The result is this special award.
  I have always believed that the best way to lead is by example, and 
by earning this important recognition they have established a record of 
safety that other mines will want to emulate. In the end, that is 
something that will continue to benefit Wyoming and the mining industry 
all across the Nation.
  The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, on 
which I serve, has focused our attention on this key issue for many 
years.

[[Page 16335]]

As a committee, we are well aware of what an impressive record this is, 
and we hope their record of success will become the norm across the 
United States. Safe work habits create safe workplaces and low accident 
rates for all employees which makes our business community, especially 
our mining industry, more productive. Good safety records also help to 
make our businesses more prosperous which is another benefit that comes 
from putting workplace safety first.
  That is why it gives me a great deal of pride to extend these best 
wishes and words of congratulations to every employee of the Buckskin 
Mine, its management, and all those who have worked so hard to keep the 
mine safe. It took a team with a vision to create and put a safety 
program into effect, and the Buckskin mine team can be very proud of 
their efforts and the great result they were able to achieve. They have 
made a difference that will have an impact from their own backyard to 
every corner of our country that relies on mines and mining.
  Now their challenge is to keep up the good work and to keep their 
excellent safety record going strong. With the hard-working group that 
makes the Buckskin Mine such a safe workplace, I have every confidence 
they will continue to serve as an example of what is possible when 
workers and management work together to keep our workplaces 
safe.

                          ____________________