ZIMPLATS‘ Ngwarati Mine emerged as the shining safety example reporting zero fatalities, zero Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate, zero Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate, and zero Lost Time Injury Severity Rate, Chamber of Mines Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Committee Report has revealed.
Presenting to delegates at the Debut of this year’s Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) AGM and Conference, Butholezwe Dube, a committee member who is also the SHEQ Manager Hwange Colliery Company Limited said in May of 2023, a total of 17 companies and 4 smelting and processing facilities participated in the AMMZ SHE audits, marking a positive start after the lifting of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
“The audits were conducted in May 2023, 17 Companies and 4 smelting and Processing facilities participated in the audits. This was a good start considering we were coming from lockdown. The criteria used was the revised Audit Protocol. Two mines had zero (0) fatalities, (0) Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate, (0)Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate and (0) Lost Time Injury Severity Rate and these were Ngwarati Mine and Mupfuti Mine,” Dube said in part.
Ngwarati walked away with a winner’s trophy after attaining the best results, scoring 97 %, with Mupfuti hot on the heels with 94% on the audit checklist.
Dube said the SHE Committee was implementing a new approach towards audits. Instead of competition among companies, it will evolve into a continual improvement program.
“Going forward the SHE Committee is changing the Audits from being a competition to being a continual improvement program. Companies will no longer compete against each other but compete with their previous year’s performance,” Dube said.
These audits demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of prioritizing safety and continual improvement. With their success, the industry is taking significant strides towards creating a safer and more secure work environment.
The Association of Mines Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) was assigned the responsibility of nominating the committee’s vice Chair.
Over and above other activities the SHE Committee has set priorities, these include.
- Fostering leadership to achieve sustainable resource stewardship.
- Protecting the health and safety of employees, contractors, and communities.
- Biodiversity and climate change.
- Capacity development -i.e. enhancing capacity and competency in SHE matters
- Continual improvement on standards and systems.
To achieve compliance obligations across the mining industry the SHE committee works in close liaison with regulatory bodies such as EMA, NSSA, SAZ, Radiation Protection Authority and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.
The Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) AGM and Conference will continue today. A new President will be voted into power taking over reigns from Engineer Elton Gwatidzo who has been at the helm of the Association for the past two years.