Anglo American launches innovative Safety Risk Management Programme across the mining industry

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 (SRMP) 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 injuries¹ have continued their downward trend, with a 27% improvement.

Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: “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 programme is being delivered worldwide through a network of universities in major mining regions, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and the UK.

The programme includes courses for senior executives and line managers and, within Anglo American, more than 4,000 managers have already been trained in the programme. 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 programme, said: “This initiative leads the industry in recognising 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, recognising 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 programme 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: “Translating risk management into a serviceable strategy in the workplace and in the boardroom is a difficult challenge. This well-designed programme 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 (UCT) agreed: “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.”

Godfrey Gomwe, Executive Director of Anglo American South Africa, said: “Our Tripartite partners, the Unions and the Government, have been active participants and supporters of the SRMP. By opening up this innovative programme 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.”

The University of Pretoria’s Head of the Department of Mining Engineering, Dr Ronny Webber-Youngman said: “The main objective is that all mining companies internationally will eventually be in a position where the risk management process, incorporating principles and practices, are uniform and transferable from one company to another.”

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Anglo American plc is one of the world’s largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Its portfolio of mining businesses spans precious metals and minerals – in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds; base metals – copper and nickel; and bulk commodities – iron ore, metallurgical coal and thermal coal. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company’s mining operations and extensive pipeline of growth projects are located in southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America and Asia.
www.angloamerican.co.uk