The PDAC conference this month provided Covergalls Inc. with a valuable opportunity to engage with industry leaders and experts. The bustling conference atmosphere was filled with excitement as Minister George Pirie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, and other notable figures visited our booth. We even got to see our favourite dad and daughter pair Kira Fuller!
Insightful Panels and Events
This year Covergalls had the privilege to participate and attend a number of amazing panels, including the IVEY Group’s initiative launch. Seeing the impact of IVEY Group on its employees, like Gisela, was truly inspiring. Additionally, the Sudbury Cluster Reception, panel discussion in the NOMS pavilion moderated by Theresa Nyabeze, and Femina Collective Dinner were all highlights of the conference.
Creating Inclusive, Psychologically Safe Workplaces
One engaging panel at PDAC 2024 Covergalls attended was led by experts Audrey Hlembizky (CEO, Team SynerG Global Consulting), Susan Lomas (Founder and President of Mine Shift Foundation) and Shannon Walker (Founder of Whistler Blower Security). The panel delved into important topics surrounding sexual harassment and #MeToo in mining industry, and why creating inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces in the mining industry is key.
Each panelist had incredible insights, bringing their own expertise, and emphasized the importance of implementing policies and procedures to address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. It was interesting to hear the role of bystander intervention in creating a safe work environment, and the importance of speak up culture.
Alicia Woods At Vale's Round Table: From Intention To Action
For our Founder and CEO Alicia Woods, one standout moment was on March 6th, where she participated in Vale's round table discussion, "From Intention to Action!"
The round table session offered valuable insights on advancing diversity, equality and inclusion in mining, and focused on critical themes including:
Inclusive Design of Workplaces, Facilities, and personal protective equipment (PPE)
Creating inclusive work environments that cater to the diverse needs of all employees starts with intention but requires action. This means designing PPE that truly fits the safety requirements of diverse workers.
Development and Training Opportunities for Diverse Talent
The mining industry has many opportunities that we need to highlight. Discussion at Vale’s round table highlighted the need for ongoing development and training programs to support diverse talent in the mining industry, ensuring equal opportunities for growth and advancement.
Fostering Respect in the Workplace
The session stressed the significance of fostering a culture of respect in the workplace, where all employees feel valued, heard, and respected for their contributions.
Attraction & Retention of Women & Indigenous People in Mining
By focusing on attracting and retaining women and Indigenous people in the mining sector, we actively work towards a more diverse and inclusive industry that reflects the broader community.
Enhancing Supply Chain Diversity
Covergalls highlighted the importance of enhancing supply chain diversity, ensuring that all aspects of the mining industry embrace inclusivity and equity. A big focus was sharing the struggles and work small female entrepreneurs face when trying to enter large corporate supply chains.
Getting the chance to share and hear about all the exciting developments happening in the mining industry is one of the reasons we love to attend PDAC.
Did You Visit Our Booth?
At PDAC this year we were happy to be able to talk about our recent launch of Covergalls 2.0, which was a significant milestone for us. We love to provide high-performing PPE with great features, but we also love continuing to test, adjust and improve. Listening to feedback and critically engaging with wearers of PPE is how we are able to provide our customers with the best, inclusive and innovative safety wear on the market.
We’re happy to say our Sustainable Collection with Waste2Wear also got its time to shine at PDAC 2024. At our booth we were able to explain how the QR codes for our W2W Sustainable Collection pieces will work and how, by manufacturing PPE from recycled materials instead of virgin plastics, we are able to help reduce our environmental impact on the planet. Currently Covergalls has produced new workwear equivalent to over 80,000 plastic bottles!
Interested in learning more about our new Sustainable Collection? Reach out and we can talk about how we can work with your organisations to create and launch a full circle, sustainable program.
Changing the mining industry to become more sustainable, more diverse, and more safe is important. PDAC 2024 gave us the amazing chance to engage in multi-stakeholder dialogues and learn from our peers. At Covergalls, our goal is to continue to grow; we can’t wait to take what we have learned and take action.