Murray & Roberts Cementation emerged as a shining beacon of commitment to safety at the annual Murray & Roberts Group’s CE Safety Recognition awards in June. These awards, which spotlight various operations across group companies, recognised Murray & Roberts Cementation for its exceptional safety  performance. As a leading underground mining contractor, the company has several projects under its belt that affirm its dedication to safety and the ultimate goal of achieving Zero Harm.

One of its standout projects is the Venetia Underground Project (VUP). Collaborating with De Beers Group, Murray & Roberts Cementation played a pivotal role in developing and equipping this underground mine which has seen the transition of Venetia Mine from an open pit operation to an underground mine. Hard work and emphasis on safety by the VUP team earned the project the accolade of 'Best Employee Participation Programme (Leading Indicator Reporting)'.

Trevor Schultz, Risk Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation, explained the significance of leading indicators. “These are proactive and preventive measures that grant crucial insights into the safety performance of a project. They also act as an early warning system, shedding light on potential issues in a given work environment.”

In another feather in Murray & Roberts Cementation’s cap, the Palabora Mining Company Lift II project was awarded with the 'Best Major Incidents Prevention Programme'. This was in acknowledgment of their exceptional work in both sub-categories being Critical Control Verifications and Critical Control  Assurance Audits. “Significantly, this project recently made headlines when, at the end of July 2023, it achieved a monumental feat by reaching the 1000-metre mark in its assignment to sink a 1200-metre ventilation shaft at PMC,” Schultz says.

The accolades didn't stop there. The Matla Mine Relocation Project was lauded with the 'Best Safety Performance at Project Level' award, thanks to its stellar 12 months rolling TRCR performance.

In addition to this award, this project had zero work related injuries during its 22-month duration.

Schultz was proud to announce that a whopping 14 of the company's projects were bestowed the title of Zero Harm Projects, meaning they had zero recordable cases. Such an impressive statistic doesn't come easy. Schultz believes it's the unwavering commitment from every single individual, from the full workforce on the ground to management, that has made this possible.

In conclusion Schultz emphasises the company's resolute focus on training and developing its workforce. This is rooted in the belief that to truly embed safety and Zero Harm principles, it should become an integral part of everyone's daily tasks on site. The recent recognitions stand as a testament to the company's success in this endeavour.