Rio Tinto's Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway wins the grand prize awarded by the Quebec Transport Association

MONTREAL, June 14, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Rio Tinto IOC wins the grand prize in the railway transport category for its interactive database project for geotechnical risk management at Quebec's Transport Excellence Awards gala held in Montreal.

Thierry Martel, Chief Operations Officer, Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) said: "This prize is a great recognition not only by our business but by our peers in Quebec. Safety is IOC's first priority, this award makes this project more relevant than ever to our operations and meaningful to the safety of our employees and other users of the QNS&L railway." He added: "IOC is always on the lookout for opportunities to refine its activities and processes to make them as safe as possible. This honor confirms our leadership in safety. Some of the devices for monitoring slope stability have been designed and installed by IOC employees. They have all contributed to delivering innovation in railway safety, these employees are the ones who have really earned this prize. "

The company has been developing the interactive database project for geotechnical risk management along the railway from 2015 to 2017. Since its implementation in March 2017, the company has been able to anticipate and prevent dangerous events that could occur as a result of erosion created by cycles of adverse weather conditions. Forming part of the Geotechnical risk management system is an array of slope stability and rock fall detection systems each tailored according to the specific ground conditions along the 420km railway. 

This prestigious award recognizes railway construction projects, technology innovation, progress or advancement in the management, technical and economic challenges in addition to projects enabling the maximization of the durability, security, and the reliability of performance.

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SOURCE Rio Tinto Plc