Health and safety

We regret to report that five fatalities occurred at the South Africa region during the quarter. Three accidents were due to gravity fall of ground incidents and two were related to tramming accidents. 

In comparison with the previous quarter, the Group’s fatal injury frequency rate improved from 0.18 to 0.12. The lost day injury frequency rate and the days lost frequency rate were similar quarter on quarter at 4.35 and 194 respectively.  The serious injury frequency rate improved by 31 per cent from 2.54 to 1.75.

The newly formed Kloof/Driefontein Complex (“KDC”) achieved 1 million fatality free shifts, with Kloof Main shaft achieving a milestone of 1.5 million fatality free shifts. The strategy of engineering out the risk in the South Africa region and ensuring compliance to standards and procedures continues to be core to improving safety. The progress with implementing engineering controls to reduce the risk at source has improved the risk profile of the mines. This was achieved through installation of in-stope netting, pre-conditioning of stope panels which is now standard and installation of additional support.  Compliance to standards is being driven by management and supervisors with the help of technical experts, while action is taken against non-compliance.

Definitions

Lost Day Injury (LDI) takes into account any injury occurring in the workplace where a person is unable to attend a full shift due to his injury at any time following the injury.

Days Lost takes into account the number of days lost due to injuries recorded.

Serious Injury takes into account, any injury where a person is defined as an LDI but unable to return to work within 14 days of their injury occurring.