Page 44 - SAPREF 50 year

Above: Sipho Maphumulo, safety marshall, and Wordsworth Khumalo, workshop artisan, model the new fire-resistant overalls that have been issued to everyone working on the plant. The overalls
are made in South Africa using an imported Nomex fabric which is inherently fire resistant.
Right: Part of SAPREF’s continual drive to boost safety was the purchase of this straddle carrier and bundle puller to lift and transport bundles to and from the cleaning pad; this was previously done by a truck and crane.
see safety as an add-on, something that is not really part of the day-to-day job. So we have had campaigns like ‘Intervene With Respect’, and a lot of safety training like the Leadership Team / Extended Leadership Team training, which includes service-provider management teams; and ‘Hands-on Tool Training’, a very practical course for Turnarounds. The biggest step has been to address behaviour when it comes to safety.”
Through the years the cornerstone of safety at SAPREF has been the ‘Four What’s’. These are the questions one should ask before tackling any job, whether at work or at home. The questions are:
1. What can go wrong?
2. What can cause it to go wrong?
3. What can I do to prevent it going wrong?
4. What can I do if it does go wrong?
By the end of 2012, however, SAPREF had moved to the more comprehensive Task Risk Assessment (TRA) with the inclusion of Last Minute Risk Assessment (LMRA).
David reflects on some of the many safety improvements: “I remember some years ago one could walk in the process area dressed only in a shirt, pants, hard hat and safety shoes. Today we use one-piece fire-resistant overalls, safety glasses, H2S monitor with escape mask, ear protection, hard hat and safety shoes.
In addition, there have been a host of other advances in safety, including the more easily understood Life Saving Rules and Permit to Work procedure. As always, these are all designed to ensure that everyone goes home safely, every day!”
SAPREF: FUELLING SA FOR 50 YEARS
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