Page 58 - 25 Reasons

s you approach Anglo
American’s iron ore business,
Kumba Iron Ore’s Kolomela
mine just outside
Postmasburg in the Northern
ACape, big blue safety boards
line the road reminding employees to “work
safely”.
Back in 2016, Kumba Iron Ore’s chief
executive officer Themba Mkhwanazi launched
a “sacred covenant code” and declared that no
person would lose their life while working there.
It was no small commitment, considering the
scope of its operations – the Sishen and
Kolomela mines employ over 10 000 mine
workers including contractors who are exposed
to the elements during their work shifts to
enable the mine to operate around the clock.
Philip Fourie, Kumba Iron Ore’s executive head
of safety, health and environment, says: “Our goal
is to achieve zero harm, but our focus at Kumba
Iron Ore is to make the company fatality free
first, and that will help us achieve not just zero
harm, but absolute zero harm, because we
consider even scrapes on the fingers as harm.”
The zero-harm approach is not just corporate Everyone who enters Kolomela mine must take a breathalyser test to ensure a safe working
talk and good PR for an industry that is environment for all employees PHOTOS: ROSETTA MSIMANGO
constantly scrutinised for its safety record – it is of victimisation or losing their jobs.
undergo a breathalyser test, every car when ZERO section 23 protocol was awarded a trophy and
something that is ingrained in every employee
on the mine.
The department that implemented the best
Everyone – including visitors – at all the
prizes.
Kumba Iron Ore offices and mines has to
Another incentive was the change in bonus
entering the premises has to be reverse parked, structure. Previously, 70% of bonuses were
no one is allowed to walk and talk on a HARM: awarded based on production and 30% on
cellphone on any of its premises and, when you safety, but, since last year, this has changed so
go up or down a staircase, you must hold on to that bonuses are calculated on 50% production
the railing. and 50% safety.
These four simple rules have been part of a With critical control mechanisms put in place
bigger campaign that now sees Kumba Iron Ore BEYOND THE to make sure working environments are safe,
achieving its longest period without a fatality. leaders randomly check areas and make sure no
“May 10 2016,” Fourie says, “that was when we short cuts are taken. These leaders are also
had our last fatality.” ROCK trained and encouraged to genuinely care about
The hardest part, he says, has been the culture their subordinates’ safety because, “if you do not
change within the company because there are truly care, employees will see right through that”,
more than 10 000 employees who all need to Fourie says.
make sure that safety is not just the FACE
responsibility of management, but of every TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY
employee. One of the strategies for better safety
“Our employees mostly stay in environments controls is the use of technology.
that are typically not completely safe – they Fourie says that, “when it comes to
travel to work in taxis that are not completely The mine of the future technology in the safety environment, we
safe and then they get to the mine and they want to employ as much technology as
need to change their entire way of thinking. That is here. During a visit possible” because humans do make errors and
has been the challenge.” to Kolomela mine near take short cuts if they deem it easier for their
Kumba Iron Ore’s approach to critical controls, work.
its incentive programmes and its constant, Postmasburg in the Some of the technology they have rolled
in-your-face reminders have helped make their out includes auto-braking systems, another
mines a safe environment to work in. Northern Cape, first in South Africa.
Some of the incentives the company has “With auto-braking on our [big] mining
introduced include rewarding employees for Muhammad Hussain finds vehicles, the vehicle will automatically stop
reporting any work area they believe is unsafe. and not collide with a person, vehicle or
“We sent out a personalised memo to every out how the team equipment.”
employee and contractor from our CEO stating is making zero harm a Another way to make sure critical controls
that they must report any unsafe work as per are observed is biometric access to
section 23 [the right to stop unsafe work and to reality so that everyone substations, where only technicians who are
refuse working in an unsafe environment] breach authorised and accredited can enter, thus
if they feel unsafe, and that the CEO and knows they work in a safe eliminating the risk that an unauthorised
management will fully back them,” Fourie says. person will be able to use a technician’s
Previously, many employees didn’t report environment access card to gain entry to critical areas.
unsafe working environments mainly due to fear There are also collision warning systems
58 ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE