Jwaneng mine launches safety programme
Lebogang Baingapi | Tuesday September 8, 2015 15:42
General Manager, Albert Milton said that the initiative is not new , but a revival of the many safety programmes they had in the past.
He said the programme provides a roadmap for individuals to commit to a single objective of achieving zero-harm at the mine.
“We want all employees to be aware of the risks they face on a daily basis and for them to take steps and manage those risks,” he said.
He added that safety is a number one priority in the mining environment hence the need for the Jwaneng mine to embark on safety programmes that will help them commit to zero harm. Milton said they launched the programme so as to maintain the momentum as they have performed well in safety since 2013 among the Anglo American Mines.
He was optimistic that the programme will unite employees, improve safety and drive productivity.The programme is expected to run for five years with a possible review afterwards. He challenged employees to ensure individual contribution to the effectiveness of the programme.
“Statistics show that lost time injuries have been reduced by 75 percent and the reporting of near-hits has been in an upward trend since 2013, while zero-occupational health incidents were recorded over the past three years,” said Milton.
Guest speaker, Botswana Chamber of Mines chief executive officer, Charles Siwawa said as the global mining industry evolved, it became more risky. He said that the mining companies put in place appropriate strategies to ensure optimum safety of their employees and other business partners. He said the new programme recognised that gone were the days when members of the leadership team exclusively drove safety management.
“It calls for employees and other business partners to individually and collectively comply and eliminate safety related incidents,” he added.
He mentioned that for the programme to succeed employees should own it and acknowledge their personal contribution towards the overall objective, which ensures diligent implementation.
Siwawa commended the Jwaneng mine for setting itself clear objectives to ensure 10 percent reduction in high potential incidents at the end of this year using the 2014 performance results as a baseline. “During this period when mineral sales dropped, you still saw it fit to secure a budget and reaffirmed your commitment to safety by launching this programme,” said Siwawa. He said through the programme they should aim not only at increasing the number of reported near-hits but also timely closure of the near-hits.