Philex retains European group’s certification on work standards

TUBA, Benguet -- Philex Mining Corp. has passed a follow-up review of its IMS, or Integrated Management System, done by an independent European organization, extending the gold-and-copper producer's certification for its compliance with international standards on environmental protection, work safety, and social responsibility.

 "Management system effectiveness was verified on site by means of random sampling by an appropriately selected audit team," TÜVRheinland, a German technical-services provider, said. "This applies in particular to the compliance of workflows with standard requirements and the descriptions in management system documentation." 

In its audit report released to the company following its second review conducted on Feb. 6 - 9, TÜVRheinland added it had also taken into account the "special features" of Philex Mining's business operation and the other requirements mandated by industry regulators. 

"This was done by means of a sampling approach, by conducting interviews and reviewing the appropriate documentation," said the audit report, which also indicated that the next audit on Philex Mining is slated for March 2018. 

TÜVRheinland granted Philex Mining its first IMS Certificate in April 2015. 

The 20-page report indicated that the certification standards consist of ISO, or International Organization for Standardization, 14001:2004 + Cor. 1:2009 and the British Standard (BS) OHSAS 18001:2007. 

While the former is a "systematic approach" for the improvement of environmental protection, plus quality environmental management, the latter is "a recognized standard for the internal and external assessment of Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Management Systems." 

The scope of certification on safety management includes operations in mining, milling, and tailings storage facilities, according to TÜVRheinland, which has headquarters in Germany and maintains presence in 65 countries and 36 business fields. 

 Signed by the audit leader Rolando Remitar, the report said there were no "conflicts of interest" in his team's performance. 

"The auditors confirm that they have neither performed internal audits for the organization to be audited nor provided consulting services for the development and implementation of the organization's management system in the last two years," it stressed. 

The report also said that while there were some "nonconformities" on the part of Philex Mining, these "have been demonstrably corrected," and that the "corrections and corrective actions taken in this respect have been verified." 

TÜVRheinland also took note of Philex Mining having hurdled the rigorous technical mine audit conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last August.  

Philex Mining had in fact led a dozen large-scale miners that passed the DENR audit, proof that it has adhered to its commitment to responsible mining by implementing sustainable development over the past 60 years of operation. 

The TÜVRheinland report also described as "highly commendable" Philex Mining's "commitment for continual improvement," citing higher wages and attractive benefits for employees, the implementation of social projects above regulatory requirements, significant spending for environmental protection, and electronic documentation.