Anglo American’s first priority is safety and believes that industry collaboration and the sharing of knowledge can save lives. Anglo American is therefore making its awardwinning Safety Risk Management Programme available across the mining industry to help drive a systemic improvement in safety and risk management.
Anglo American’s goal is to achieve Zero Harm and, since the SRMP was introduced in 2008, the number of fatalities has reduced by 29% and the number and severity of lost time injuries have continued their downward trend, with a 27% improvement.
Ms Cynthia Carroll CEO of Anglo American, said that “We have set an industry standard for risk management with SRMP. It is a critical element of our own safety improvement strategy and is helping to improve safety across our operations by introducing the use of proven best practice risk control strategies and establishing a common understanding. I believe if the right approach to risk is taken and we learn from incidents, we can manage the risks our people face and mine injury free.”
The SRMP was developed by Anglo American and the University of Queensland, Australia. It includes best-practice insights gained not only from the mining industry but also from the nuclear, aviation and chemical sectors. This innovative program is being delivered worldwide through a network of universities in major mining regions, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and the UK.
The program includes courses for senior executives and line managers and, within Anglo American, more than 4,000 managers have already been trained in the program. Further courses have been designed for supervisors and frontline staff that will allow everyone to make the right decisions affecting safety.
University of Queensland Professor Jim Joy who developed the program said that “This initiative leads the industry in recognizing that in order to achieve zero harm you need good understanding of the issues and of the methods required for achieving line-driven ownership of approaches to reducing risk. Anglo American has set a standard and, recognizing that safety is an industry issue, is offering the opportunity for other companies to join in the education. The global nature of the initiative is also unique in that it involves a network of high quality universities, delivering the same program in local languages, with local experts.”
In South Africa, for example, Professor May Hermanus of the Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry at the University of the Witwatersrand said that “Translating risk management into a serviceable strategy in the workplace and in the boardroom is a difficult challenge. This well-designed program with its practical tools and participatory approach has the potential to significantly improve work processes and save lives.”
Professor Jean Paul Franzidis of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town agreed that “We believe this global initiative has the potential to change the mindset of people on the mines towards risk and safety. Extending this to a global network of universities will see the course used as a vehicle for effecting radical and fundamental improvements in safety and risk management, creating a new paradigm in mine safety.”
Mr Godfrey Gomwe executive director of Anglo American South Africa said that “Our Tripartite partners, the Unions and the Government, have been active participants and supporters of the SRMP. By opening up this innovative program to the mining industry and beyond through our university partners, we hope to make a significant contribution to the improvement of safety in mining around the world.”
Anglo American has opened up 20% of the places on all courses globally to external delegates. These have already been taken up by members from unions and the government, as well as civil society and regulators in South America and Australia."
