JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Diversified miner Exxaro Resources on Friday launched its Khetha Ukuphepha safety campaign across all its business units and operations, as part of its journey towards zero harm.

The campaign is aimed at improving the company’s lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) back to the target of 0.11 and to establish a firm foundation and culture of further improvements beyond this target to achieve zero harm.

Speaking to Mining Weekly Online on the sidelines of one of the launch events, at its conneXXion head office, in Centurion, Exxaro Resources group manager for safety and health Dr Joseph Matjila explained that the launch formed part of Exxaro’s safety strategy, which encompasses five pillars.

The campaign falls under the pillar of ‘talking safety every day’.

One of the strategic measures under this pillar is communicating the importance of, as well as pursuing, individual safety. This is aimed at educating employees and reinforcing the safety message of the organisation.

As part of the campaign launch, there were simulations and activations for employees to make them aware of some of the hazards that can compromise their safety, such as the effects of intoxication and fatigue on the body.

Matjila noted that the campaign was being undertaken at a time of year commonly known as “silly season”, during which a high number of incidents occur in the mining industry, to ensure employees were reminded of the risks they were facing during this period, at work and when they leave for the festive season.

With the campaign forming part of Exxaro’s journey towards zero harm, Matjila enthused that the group was on track to achieve its safety targets.

Firstly, it is on track to end this year as another fatality-free year, and is eagerly anticipating reaching the three-year fatality-free milestone by March 2, 2020.

Secondly, it is targeting zero high potential incidents, and thus far in 2019, has achieved this, an improvement on the five recorded in 2018.  

Thirdly, on LTIFR, the group is targeting 0.11, and is currently marginally above this at 0.13. However, Matjila noted that if no further incidents occured this year, the group would likely reach the target rate.

Matjila acclaimed these rates as “exceptional achievements”, given the industry in which the group operates, as well as it employing a considerable 26 000 employees.