Victoria Falls Stock Exchange-listed, gold-focused miner Caledonia Mining Corporation’s Blanket Mine has been honored with the prestigious Continual Improvement Award at the Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) Safety, Health, and Environmental (SHE) Awards, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The award highlights the mine’s dedication to enhancing its safety, health, and environmental protocols, positioning it as a leader in the mining sector for its consistent progress in these crucial areas.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Alfred Chinyere, General Manager of Freda Rebecca Mine and Chairman of the AMMZ and Chamber of Mines SHE Committee, commended Blanket Mine’s remarkable performance in 2024. Chinyere emphasized that the mine’s substantial improvements in its safety record were a key factor in its selection for the award.
“The award for continual improvement goes to the mine that has demonstrated significant progress in 2024, and that mine is Blanket Mine,” said Chinyere.
Chinyere further noted that the mining industry’s SHE performance has shown significant improvement compared to the previous year.
“If you look at how we are faring in 2024 compared to 2023, on a calendar year basis, you can clearly see an improvement in terms of safety performance. In 2023, we had 212 fatalities, but this year we have reduced that number to 140. Similarly, lost-time accidents dropped from 51 last year to 36 this year. This is a better performance, and we don’t expect anything worse in the remaining months of the year,” said Chinyere.
He highlighted the general improvement in safety metrics across the industry, which he referred to as lagging indicators. Chinyere encouraged applause for the progress made and expressed optimism for further improvements by addressing key issues such as fall-of-ground accidents, which contribute to nearly 50 percent of total accidents.
“The key issue driving accidents in mining is the fall of ground, and if we put more effort into managing these incidents, we can significantly reduce the number of fatalities in our mines,” Chinyere explained.
He urged the mining industry to adopt new technologies, particularly the Technology Adoption Plan (TAP), which has shown positive results in mines that have implemented it for fall-of-ground management.
In addition to Blanket Mine’s recognition, Chinyere discussed the broader safety competitions held throughout the year, noting an increase in participation in certain regions despite economic challenges affecting some mines. He expressed gratitude to mines like MIMOSA and ZIMPLATS for hosting the competition finals, acknowledging the financial strain on some operations due to declining metal prices.
Chinyere also introduced a shift in how safety audits and competitions will be conducted going forward.
“Instead of ranking mines against each other, we will now evaluate each mine against its own past performance. This continuous improvement model will foster a healthier culture around safety audits,” he said.
Blanket Mine’s award underscores its leadership in promoting a culture of continual improvement, which has enhanced safety performance and positioned it as a role model within the mining sector. As the industry moves toward more sustainable and technologically advanced practices, Blanket Mine’s achievements highlight the critical importance of prioritizing worker safety and environmental protection.
