Kumba Iron Ore, part of the Anglo American group, narrowly missed the group’s safety target of zero fatalities for the 2008 financial year.

The only fatality that the company recorded last year was at its Sishen mine, in the Northern Cape.

Anglo American established the ambitious safety goal as a benchmark against which member companies should measure their performances.

However, Kumba did significantly improve its safety record by 50% during 2008. CEO Chris Griffith reports that the safety efforts of the company during 2008 went a long way to achie- ving the group’s zero-fatality goal. “When mea- sured by lost-time injuries (LTIs), the company showed significant improvement, with 14 LTIs, compared with 2007’s 29 LTIs,” says Griffith.

The most significant improvement was recorded at the company’s Thabazimbi mine, in Limpopo province, which has not had a fatality in six years and recorded the last LTI in September 2007.

The company’s Sishen mine, in the Northern Cape, was the only mine to contribute to the company’s LTI frequency rate. However, the safety performance of the mine is the best in its recorded history.

Griffith reports that Kumba does not see the zero-fatality benchmark as an ambitious one, as the company has made significant steps towards achieving this goal. “The benchmark just means that the company needs to enhance its safety focus.”

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