Gold-mining major Harmony Gold is targeting a 50% improvement in the company's lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) by the end of the year.

CEO Graham Briggs reports that the targeted reduction – from ten lost-time injuries for every one-million work hours to five lost-ime injuries – is significantly higher than the 20% year-on-year improvement the company was aiming for in the past.

The company has made significant improvements on its safety record over the past five years. Between 2003 and 2008, it slashed its LTIFR from 25 lost-time injuries for every one-million work hours to ten lost-time injuries.

This announcement follows two challenging years for South African mines, with mine safety consistently under the spotlight.

Briggs reports that Harmony has adopted a more practical approach to safety, rather than a theoretical approach.

"There are still theoretical courses being run on mine safety, but the company feels that, if management takes an active step and puts what it teaches into practice, then more will be achieved," says Briggs.

Another key measure that needs to be taken is tackling cultural challenges that are mine specific. Briggs states that the company realised that there were different safety cultures in the different provinces of the country. He adds that the company's policy on safety is open to adaptation, with senior managers in each province being encouraged to adopt safety standards that will be applicable to their province.

He adds that the company has also adopted a system whereby it praises mines that put in good safety performances and deals harshly with those that perform unsatisfactorily from a safety point of view.

One mine that was recently acknowledged by the company for its improving safety performance is Phakisa mine, in the Free State.

During the last quarter of 2008, Phakisa mine reduced its LTIFR to 0,98 lost-time injuries for every one-million work hours. The mine reported 173 days of injury-free shifts and 96 lost-time-injury-free days.

To subscribe to Mining Weekly's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.