Social
Our relationships with our workforce, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities are fundamental to Cameco’s success. The protection of our workforce and the public guides our risk assessment and the planning of our operations and product transport activities. To deliver on our vision to energize a clean-air world, we invest in programs to attract and retain a diverse, skilled workforce dedicated to continuous improvement and committed to our values.
The following are summary highlights of selected priority social topics. Please see our 2022 ESG Report for more information or Our Performance for all indicator results.
Relationships with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
We believe that Indigenous Peoples and local communities should benefit from resource development on or near their communities or traditional lands, through employment, training, business opportunities, community investment, and environmental stewardship. Cameco has a long history of working collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Occupational Safety and Health
Cameco works in challenging physical environments and with substances that require special attention and care. It is our responsibility to keep the occupational health and safety risks associated with our business at levels as low as reasonably achievable, and to send our workers home safely at the end of their shift or work rotation.
Foundations for a safety culture
Safety is a core value at Cameco and the paramount consideration that guides all decisions and actions related to our more than 2,900 employees and contractors. We build safety into the design and operation of our facilities, have a management system that supports the integration of safety into everything we do, and promote a strong safety culture across our workforce.
- Strong systems - We manage the safety of our workers through programs, systems, and standards, with our Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Policy providing overarching guidance. These systems include training requirements, operational controls, and management procedures that apply to both employees and contractors.
- Safety Culture Survey - We conduct a safety culture assessment at each Canadian site approximately every five years. Our most recent assessments, conducted in 2021 at three locations with over 550 workers, showed an overall trend towards more positive perceptions of Cameco’s safety culture. Our next surveys are scheduled for 2023 at Key Lake, Blind River and Rabbit Lake.
- Proactive safety behaviours - While good standards and procedures are important, strong safety performance requires more than simply following procedures. We encourage workers to stop work when they feel unsure or unsafe and to discuss issues with their supervisors and subject matter experts before proceeding.
- Training - Training is an important part of the process to help workers understand how to work safely. Training covers all aspects of our business and includes technical operational skills, specific safety procedures, radiation protection, and emergency response. Required training is carefully tracked to verify that qualified individuals carry out activities.
Tailored safety programs
We have safety risks similar to other mining and chemical processing companies, and also experience the unique challenges associated with radiation.
Inclusion and Diversity
We understand the value of a diverse workforce and we embrace, encourage, and support workplace inclusion. Members of a diverse workplace bring new ideas, perspective, experiences, and expertise to the company. Our goal is to create an inclusive work environment, with a diverse and representative workforce being our measure of success.
To achieve our goal, we are committed to creating a safe, innovative, and inclusive culture where we act as “one Cameco”. We adhere to all laws in the countries where we operate, including human rights, labour and employment laws and share the values reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We support inclusion and diversity through policies and programs, training and awareness, diversity data, recruitment practices and through changes to our physical facilities. Our commitment to diversity begins at the top through our Board Diversity Policy. With the restart of the McArthur River/Key Lake operation, priority was given to qualified members of employment equity groups, particularly women in non-traditional roles, as well as maximizing employment of Indigenous individuals from our partner communities in northern Saskatchewan.
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