Sept-Îles, June 4, 2012 — At the eighth regional gala for the CSST Innovation Award in OccupationalHealth and Safety on May 31, 2012, in Sept-Îles, Aluminerie Alouette and its employees won the regional award for large companies. Company representatives proudly received the prestigious award from the hands of Gaétan Thériaut, Vice-President, Operations, Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST).

Every year, the competition recognizes companies of all sizes for their major innovative projects aimed at preventing accidents in the workplace. Alouette’s self-dumping hopper project was awarded for being innovative, preventative and safe.

Developed by the casthouse employees and Alouette’s engineering department, the new self-dumping hopper helps eliminate a number of safety hazards at source. Good examples are crushed fingers, radiant heat exposure and burns caused by molten metal splashes.

“Every company that uses hoppers could benefit from the project. The idea is already being used elsewhere, and we’re very proud,” said Gavin Whittom, a project participant.

Thanks to its employees’ innovative ideas, Aluminerie Alouette has won the regional prize three times (it was also singled out for the award in 2009 and 2010). “Continuous improvement is an integral part of Alouette’s labour practices, and all employees are called upon to contribute in this area. Health and safety for everyone is a terrific motivation for innovation,” said André Martel, Alouette President and CEO.