"We lost 20 working days . . . we lost 15 000 oz to 18 000 oz, and about 99,7% of the stoppages were management initiated, and not initiated by the Department of Minerals and Energy," AngloGold Ashanti executive vice-president for business development Richard Duffy said at the company's third-quarter results presentation, last week.

He noted that the company's safety rive was continuing, with the lost-time injury rate improving 10%, despite four fatalities during the quarter. The fatality rate for the entire year declined by 60% compared with the corresponding period in 2007.

Duffy pointed out that safety was an area in which the company had seen "considerable improvement", but that an even greater effort was required.

The company reported that the rate of 0,08 a million hours worked was also the lowest it had achieved since its inception and it was encouraged by the progress and commitment of all employees to ensuring that safety is its first value.

Safety indicators continued to show an improvement, with the lost-time injury frequency rate at 6,97 a million hours worked for the quarter, 10% lower than the prior quarter's performance.

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