Improving operational safety performance
Podcast
Ron Largent
Executive Vice President, Americas Region, AngloGold Ashanti.“Good safety performance goes beyond technical systems – it requires that safety is a passion. What does this mean? The relentless pursuit of safety at all times.”
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Our context
Safety is our most important business consideration and we are committed to creating the safest possible working environment for our employees. Poor safety performance is unacceptable for the business, as well as for our stakeholders, business and social partners. When our current business goals were put in place in 2008, we committed to the long-term goal of operating an injury-free business and established a five-year goal of reducing fatality rates by 70%, working from a 2007 baseline.
We have made significant progress towards this target. In 2008, when the ‘safety is our first value’ campaign was introduced, a step change in safety performance was achieved. Between 2007 and 2008 there was a decrease of 59% in the number of fatal injuries and a 20% reduction in the all injury frequency rate, as illustrated in the graphs below.
In 2009 and 2010, injury frequency rates continued to improve. A further step change is, however, required to meet our longer-term objectives. This cannot be achieved through individual campaigns alone, but requires a systemic cultural change in the business, integrating a new way of thinking about safety into the way we work, and underpinned by an organisational culture which displays a deep respect for the dignity and wellbeing of others.
Fatalities – group
2006 – 2010
All injury frequency rate – group
2006 – 2010
AngloGold Ashanti’s safety transformation project
The safety transformation project was initiated in 2008 and has resulted in the development of a safety transformation approach which has three components:
- Engaging people – people and culture are vitally important in creating a safe working environment. Compliance with rules and procedures alone cannot address or mitigate all hazards and risks. A culture which fosters improvements in safety performance is built on people who think for themselves about safety issues and who take ownership and accountability for creating a safe environment.
- Building the right systems – systems play a key role in influencing the work environment. We have set ourselves the task of building robust systems that are specific to safety and ensuring that safety considerations are thoroughly integrated with other organisational systems that sustain safety, such as knowledge management.
- Managing risks effectively – our approach is to eliminate hazards where possible, and if they cannot be eliminated, to manage their commensurate risks. This requires broader thinking about hazards and risk, which will result in building more robust defences to protect people from harm, based on group-level, technical, administrative and individual controls.
This approach has been translated into a safety framework for the business, which is integrated into the broader operational model that has been developed through Project ONE. Implementation of the safety transformation framework through the operational model will enable the company to target and deliver on long-term and sustainable safety improvements.
AngloGold Ashanti’s safety framework
Safety targets in 2011
In 2011, we will continue implementation of the safety transformation project and integration into Project ONE. We aim to achieve continued improvement in safety performance, towards our 2015 business goal of all injury frequency rate of less than 9 per million hours worked. Our target to reduce fatalities by 70% by 2012 remains intact.
Case study
Integrating safety transformation into Project ONE
In implementing safety transformation, we have adopted an approach which ensures that all of its components are made relevant to the business by integrating them into Project ONE. AngloGold Ashanti introduced Project ONE as a business change initiative to improve performance levels across all areas of its business operations through consistent management and systems. Project ONE incorporates the Business Process Framework (BPF), designed to ensure that the right work is done at the right time and in the right way, and the System for People (SP), which targets putting the right people in the right role to do the right work.
Read case studyIn memoriam
We record with sadness the loss of 15 of our colleagues in operational accidents in 2010.
In South Africa:
- Sabido Debrito Augusto at Kopanang Mine
- Hendrie Khosa and Fundile Gaqelo at Moab Khotsong Mine
- Sabelo Hezekiel Dlamini and Boy Africa Mabuza at TauTona Mine
- Fanele Nobulongwe and Bonginkosi Hertzog Madlopha at Mponeng Mine
- Vasco Alfabeto Nhazilo and Motlatsi Elias Ramokoena at Tau Lekoa Mine
- Jonase Serame Mosebo at Kopanang Mine
In Guinea:
Alimou Bangoura at Siguiri Mine
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Damien Unegi Anefwa at the Mongbwalu Project site
In Tanzania:
Esau Mwakibuja and Honest Ngowi at Geita Mine
In Mali:
Lassina Bamba at Sadiola Mine
Safety performance in 2010
In our 2009 report, we committed to the following safety targets for 2010:
- begin implementation of the safety transformation project; and
- achieve a 20% reduction in our all injury frequency rate.
Implementation of the safety transformation project has begun, and the project was launched in May 2010. The table below gives a breakdown of the all injury frequency rate recorded in each of AngloGold Ashanti’s operating regions since 2006.
In 2010 we did not achieve the desired 20% reduction – the overall decrease on 2009 was some 11%. However we remain confident of achieving our longer-term targets. Given the transformational nature of our approach to safety, we anticipate that we will improve safety performance through a series of step changes as we implement the safety framework. Work to effect further improvements is continuing across all regions, even those that achieved the targeted reduction.
All injury frequency rate by region (2006-2010)
| Region | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 16.69 | 17.72 | 22.28 | 29.10 | 33.12 |
| Continental Africa | 5.26 | 6.09 | 8.27 | 10.31 | 10.33 |
| Americas | 5.66 | 7.12 | 9.92 | 7.16 | 8.63 |
| Australasia | 13.10 | 8.64 | 15.17 | 14.49 | 17.01 |
| Greenfield exploration | 16.99 | 20.56 | 16.55 | 24.90 | 9.36 |
| Group | 11.50 | 12.88 | 16.66 | 20.95 | 22.83 |
The all injury frequency rate is the total number of injuries including fatalities that occur per million hours worked. It is being introduced across the company as a measure of safety performance, replacing a focus on the lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR). This approach is consistent with our commitment to eliminate all occupational accidents.
Case study
Managing fatigue at Cripple Creek and Victor (CC&V) Mine in the USA
Shift workers in all industries face a similar problem – managing sleep cycles during shift rotations so that they can stay alert and perform their jobs safely. In the mining industry, shift workers operate heavy equipment, and fatigue can pose significant risk. At the CC&V mine in the USA, two relatively serious fatigue-related incidents occurred during early 2010, fortunately without injury. However, as a result, the safety team at CC&V decided to seek external expertise in combating fatigue amongst employees through a targeted intervention.
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