The Rosond group continues to place the safety of their employees at the helm of their operations. This is evident in the recent safety achievement of six months with no Lost Time Injuries (LTI) as a group from July 2017 to January 2018, following a zero harm achievement in their past financial quarter.

At the following sites; Geotechnical, Rasimoni, Elandsrand, Dishaba diamond drilling, Kloof diamond drilling, Tumela diamond drilling, and South Deep diamond drilling - no employee was off from work due to an accident for a period ranging between five and ten years. This is an outstanding achievement for Rosond, bearing in mind the harsh environment it operates in.

“Maintaining our safety achievements is crucial for us. Our daily goal is to make sure that everyone goes home safe to their families and these results are proof that we are on the right track. We will continue to adhere to our safety and health policies in order continue maintaining our performance. Rosond’s goal is to be LTI free by 2020,” says Ricardo Cravo Ribeiro, Operations Director at Rosond.

A culture of zero harm
Rosond’s safety is a collective effort. Management reviews and updates safety manuals annually and when required. After an accident, systems are revisited to ensure the lessons learnt from the accidents are implemented.

Employees receive theoretical and practical training annually and when required, on safety and technical aspects to re-emphasise information and ensure that they are motivated to continue to do their jobs safely. Alongside safety training, the use of technologically advanced machinery, equipment and safety devices forms part of Rosond’s safety mandate.

When new employees are recruited, Rosond places them under psychometric tests in order to match them with the intended role and then proceeds with safety and technical training.

Andre Kleynhans, Rosond Safety Manager says, “Safety is a responsibility of all employees and the management; it is team work. Our ongoing safety achievements are a result of continuous improvement of safety methods by management and continuous implementation of safety measures by employees.

Another important aspect is that we are committed to investigating all unsafe practices and incidents and take the necessary steps to prevent re-occurrence. So far, Rosond has been doing extremely well, so well that our mind-set has shifted to always put safety first at all times creating a culture of zero harm.”

Safety onwards
To successfully maintain their safety achievements, Rosond is committed to continually apply simple and understandable safety management systems and ensure that all employees are equipped with the means to implement safety procedures at all times. Rosond also put in place a safety incentive scheme where employees are awarded an incentive when they achieve set safety objectives and targets.

“Our safety achievements are giving us a competitive edge in the market furthering our client’s trust in our ability to provide seamless and quality service; and at the same time encouraging potential clients to place us top of mind when seeking services like ours,” says Ribeiro.

To reinforce their safety strategy, increase productivity and minimise risks, Rosond is in the process of developing a technologically advanced surface exploration rig. The machine will be fully automated and workers will be operating it from a ‘safe zone’ most of the time.

“We will continue to develop tools, machinery or equipment that will assist our employees to do their jobs safely and productively,” concludes Ribeiro.