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The Citizen writes that three years ago Kumba Iron Ore CEO Themba Mkhwanazi laid down a “sacred covenant code”, declaring that not a single person would lose their life by accident or mine-related illness while working in the mine.
It was an ambitious pledge, considering the scope of Kumba’s operations and that the iron-ore producer employs 3,800 miners. Entrenching a company-wide culture of zero harm, its elimination of fatalities programme and a holistic approach to health has worked for Kumba, with zero fatalities since May 2016. It has also seen a 67% drop in serious incidents and injuries at its Sishen, Kolomela and Saldanha Port operations. On Sunday, which was World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Kumba showcased its innovative ways of curbing deaths. It started by challenging managers to change their mindset on safety and understand that whatever happens on their watch was a reflection of their leadership. “Fatalities do not have to be an inevitable byproduct of mining. If we can work one day with zero harm, we can do two, four, 100 and more. We know what the fatal risks are, and we need to manage them properly,” observed Philip Fourie, head of safety and health at Kumba. Safety results now form part of employee key performance indicators, and as such, affect their bonuses.
- Read the full original of Sipho Mabena’s report in the above regard at The Citizen
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page