TSM measures mining operations’ performance in Aboriginal and community outreach, safety and health, and crisis management planning. Through TSM, mining operations can more
effectively engage with people in surrounding communities, as well as ensure they are well informed of relevant issues. TSM also helps to ensure the safest possible working environment for employees and contractors at the mine site.
Aboriginal and Community Outreach
The TSM Aboriginal and Community Outreach Protocol helps mining facilities evaluate their
activities and practices related to engagement with Aboriginal peoples and other communities of interest (COI). To achieve a Level A, this protocol requires facilities to have formal systems in place to establish who they should be speaking with about their operations and how to best engage with them. Facilities must also establish two-way dialogue with their COI, have systems in place to receive and respond to concerns, and keep the public apprised of their activities and performance. Facilities are required to publicly report on their engagement with communities. Detailed criteria for each performance level are available in the TSM Aboriginal and Community Outreach Protocol .
In the early years of TSM, most facilities had only informal systems or processes in place for engaging with communities and Aboriginal peoples. Today, the results for this protocol are very strong, with over 90% of facilities achieving a Level A or higher in all indicators of this protocol. Of the facilities achieving a Level A or higher, over half of them are now being assessed at a Level AAA for all indicators.
| Level A | Level AA | Level AAA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community of Interest (COI) identification |
53%
2006 |
97%
2017 |
98%
2018 |
| Effective COI engagement and dialogue |
56%
2006 |
92%
2017 |
95%
2018 |
| COI response mechanism |
60%
2006 |
92%
2017 |
95%
2018 |
| Reporting |
53%
2006 |
95%
2017 |
94%
2018 |
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Crisis Management and Communications Planning
The TSM Crisis Management and Communications Planning Protocol provides mining companies with tools to effectively plan for communications in the unfortunate event of a crisis at one of their facilities or at the corporate level. Where the crisis is caused by a physical emergency, such as a fire or flood, the tools offered in this protocol are intended to work in conjunction with emergency response plans at the facility.
The protocol requires both head offices and facilities to develop crisis management plans, as well as to establish crisis communications teams to support the execution of these plans. Facilities must be able to demonstrate, among other requirements, that they have crisis communications programs in place to effectively alert employees and the public of a crisis, its development and its resolution. They must also be able to demonstrate that their crisis management plan is regularly tested and updated. Detailed criteria for each performance level are available in the TSM Crisis Management and Communications Planning Protocol.
In 2006, approximately half of the participating facilities and companies had a crisis management plan that fulfilled TSM requirements. Since then, on an aggregate basis, the results have generally shown steady improvement over time, with over 80% of facilities and corporate offices meeting the requirements of all three indicators in this protocol.
| Crisis management and communications preparedness |
53%
2006 |
92%
2017 |
90%
2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review |
59%
2006 |
79%
2017 |
84%
2018 |
| Training |
40%
2006 |
83%
2017 |
88%
2018 |
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Safety and Health
The TSM Safety and Health Protocol is designed to evaluate a facility’s management practices related to occupational safety and health. Protecting the safety and health of employees and contractors is a fundamental component of TSM and is deeply engrained in the Canadian mining industry’s culture. To achieve a Level A performance, facilities must demonstrate clear accountability for safety and health management, have processes in place that prevent the occurrence of incidents, provide proper training, and report their performance internally and externally. Detailed criteria for each performance level are available in the TSM Safety and Health Protocol.
On an aggregate basis, the results for this protocol have been strong since public reporting began in 2012. Over 90% of facilities have achieved a Level A or higher across all five indicators, with many facilities assessed at Levels AA and AAA.
| Level A | Level AA | Level AAA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commitments and accountability |
95%
2013 |
97%
2017 |
97%
2018 |
| Planning and implementation |
91%
2013 |
98%
2017 |
97%
2018 |
| Training, behaviour and culture |
88%
2013 |
95%
2017 |
95%
2018 |
| Monitoring and reporting |
78%
2013 |
95%
2017 |
95%
2018 |
| Performance |
94%
2013 |
94%
2017 |
95%
2018 |
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
