Nevada Mining Association Honors 2026 Safety Award Winners
Federal safety data determines 27 mine operators and five contractors earning top honors for outstanding workplace safety performance.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Jul 20, 2026
State mining officials recognized 27 mine operations and five third-party contractors for exceptional workplace safety performance during the previous calendar year.
The annual awards evaluate companies operating across the state based on official workforce and incident data maintained by the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Evaluators calculate scores using a standardized safety rate formula that factors in total on-site personnel, aggregate hours worked in 2025, reportable safety incidents, penalty points and total days lost due to workplace injuries.
Multiple winning operations achieved a "triple zero" rating for the year, recording no reportable injuries, no modified or restricted work duty days and zero lost-time incidents across their shifts.
Awards cover several operational tiers, including aggregate production, non-metal facilities, surface mines and underground facilities categorized by workforce size.
Selected top site awardees include:
- Aggregate: Ames Construction Inc. (Ames Backfill Portable Crusher), Granite Construction Co. (Lockwood Quarry) and Western Nevada Materials (Spanish Springs Quarry).
- Non-Metals: Arcosa Specialty Materials (Arcosa Adams Claim #1850), Empire Mining Co. (Empire Mine), Lhoist North America (Amargosa Quarry and Plant) and U.S. Silica Co. (Clark Operations, Colado Mine, Colado Plant and Fernley Operations).
- Surface Operations (Large): KGHM International (Robinson Operation, first place), SSR Mining (Marigold, second place) and Nevada Gold Mines (Twin Creeks, third place).
- Surface Operations (Medium): McEwen Mining (Gold Bar, first place).
- Surface Operations (Small): Mining Americas Inc. (Pan Mine), Hycroft Resources (Hycroft Mine), Lithium Nevada Corp. (Thacker Pass), Kinross Nevada (Bald Mountain South Operation) and i-80 Gold (Ruby Hill Mine).
- Underground Operations (Large): Nevada Gold Mines secured all three top spots with Cortez (first), Turquoise Ridge (second) and Leeville (third).
- Underground Operations (Medium): Nevada Gold Mines swept the division with Exodus (first) and Pete Bajo (second).
- Underground Operations (Small): i-80 Gold (Granite Creek), Nevada Gold Mines (El Nino), and Kinross Nevada (Round Mountain Underground).
The evaluation also recognized third-party contracting firms whose staff work directly alongside primary mine operators. Winning contractors include Small Mine Development for work at the Leeville, North Post-Meikle Underground and Rita K sites; Cementation USA Inc. for operations at Gold Rush Underground; and GenX Mining Contractors.
All operator and contractor award recipients will be formally recognized alongside 45 individual safety award honorees at an industry ceremony in Lake Tahoe later this fall.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.