The honour was presented by the Wyoming State Mine Inspector and Wyoming Mining Association to the high-producing operation, which was spotlighted as the safest surface mine last year – a distinction the mine has had three of the last four years.

Employees of NARM, Peabody noted, achieved 1.7 million hours of work without a lost-time accident in 2006, and have actually worked more than two years and 2 million hours without one.

“Safety is a core Peabody value and central to our mission,” Peabody western operations group vice-president Kemal Williamson said.

“We are proud to recognise our employees for consistently achieving leading results that strive toward our ultimate vision of zero incidents of any kind.”

NARM was also given the Wyoming State Inspector Award for safety during a recent ceremony. Earlier this year, workers were bestowed the Wyoming Governor’s Safety Award a second time for its safety program.

According to Peabody, 2005 and 2006 were its safest years in history, and over the last three years it has improved safety performance by 37%. Only nine US and Australian mines could report zero reportable incidents in 2006, it added.