Report home Report to society 2003

www.anglogold.co.za
Annual Financial Statements 2003
Contact us
Feedback
Glossary
Site map
Print & downloads
Home| About this report| Living our values| By GRI| Case studies| Economic performance| Annual financial statements
          
 
Occupational safety  
 
Download PDF PDF - 630KB Print
Larry Snyder, Safety, Health and Environment Manager at CC&V.

Both CC&V and Safety, Health and Environment Manager, Larry Snyder, were recognised by the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology and the Colorado Mining Association for undertaking almost two years of construction on the expansion project without having a single lost-time injury.
 
Case studies
North America
7.10 STOP programme implemented in North America
Although the Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) mine in North America has an exemplary safety record, that does not mean that mine management has stopped their safety initiatives. In fact, this surface mining operation recently introduced a Safety Training and Observation Programme (STOP) which was developed by international safety experts, Du Pont.

Says Larry Snyder, Safety, Health and Environment Manager at CC&V, ?STOP for supervisors is an excellent behaviour-based observation programme that gives us the means to achieve safety excellence. The programme trains management ? from the general manager to the front-line supervisor ? to observe behaviour in several key areas and to take appropriate action that will help change employees? behaviour. It develops observation and communications skills so that positive steps can be taken to ensure a safer workplace."

The programme promotes behavioural safety changes by providing the tools essential to supervisors to observe employees in critical areas of behaviour and correct inappropriate acts and reinforce proper safe behaviour. Emphasis is placed on using the STOP Safety Cycle. This is the process of:
 
DECIDE ? Make safety a top priority
 
STOP ? Give your full attention to the work area
 
OBSERVE ? Look for unsafe acts and unsafe conditions
 
THINK ? Consider how safety will be affected by what you have observed, and
 
ACT ? Use good judgment to eliminate unsafe acts and unsafe conditions

Supervisors are required to complete a STOP card on their observations and are required to correct unsafe acts and unsafe conditions as well as commend safe acts and safe conditions. Observations are then tracked over time.

Says Larry, ?STOP training for supervisors began in February 2003 and included all supervisory personnel, from the Vice President and General Manager to the front line supervisor. Training in STOP for all other employees began in August 2003. Operating departments completed STOP training in December 2003. Administrative departments were so intrigued by the programme that they decided to join the training effort in November 2003. They are currently scheduled to complete their training in April 2004. We feel that STOP training is valuable in keeping employees oriented and focused on unsafe acts in specific work practices, the leading causes of injury.

Results from the mining department are encouraging. The end-of-year incident rate, as defined by the Mines Safety and Health Act (MSHA) in the US, was 1.4 reportable injuries per 200,000 man hours, down from 2.5 at the end of 2002. But the results from the processing department are not as good, indicating that there is still more work to be done there. The incident rate there was 13.4, up from 5.5 at the end of 2002.
 
The STOP programme is based on the following principles:
All injuries and occupational illnesses can be prevented;
Safety is everyone?s responsibility;
Management is directly accountable for preventing injuries and occupational illnesses;
Safety is a condition of employment;
Training is an essential element for safe workplaces;
Safety audits must be conducted;
Safe work practices should be reinforced and all unsafe acts and unsafe conditions must be corrected promptly;
It is essential to investigate injuries and occupational illnesses as well as incidents with the potential for injury;
Safety off the job is an important element of our overall safety effort;
Preventing injuries and occupational illnesses is good business; and
People are the most critical element in a successful safety and health programme.
 
Business principle:
  AngloGold as an employer – safety
and health
Key indicators
Milestones - 2003
Safety and health policy and agreements
Review of 2003
  Governance and structure
  Safety performance
  Causes of fatal accidents
  Overcoming the challenges
Reporting in line
with GRI
Objectives for 2004
Case studies
  South Africa
  East and West Africa
  Australia
  South America
  North America
  7.10 STOP programme implemented in North America
         
    Top | Business principles    
Ethics & governance   Community   Safety   Health   HIV/AIDS   Environment   Labour practices