SafetyCloud, in partnership with Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA) kicked off an exciting webinar series this month with an insightful webinar on enhancing safety culture in mining operations.
The first webinar took place on 1 October 2024, bringing together industry experts to share best practices and strategies.
Lindy Scott, Founder of Amber, a health and safety communication platform, emphasised the importance of clear communication, trust-building, budget allocation, and employee participation.
"Safety culture should be integrated into everyday culture, not treated as a separate entity." Scott stressed the need for human-centred safety communication and respecting workers who report concerns.
Sharon Jasop, Superintendent Training at Assmang Khumani’s Beeshoek Mine, highlighted the crucial role of safety training. "Changing behaviour towards safety is essential; providing information and materials isn't enough." Jasop advocated for on-the-job training, simulation exercises, and embracing technological advancements like digitalisation and virtual reality.
Jocelyn Ann Gilfillan, coach and consultant, emphasised the importance of strong unions in ensuring workplace safety. "Organised labour is not the enemy; we work together with leadership to find solutions." Gilfillan stressed collaboration between labour, leaders, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), training departments, and organisations like the Association of Mine Managers South Africa (AMMSA).
With a key message that a culture of safety lay in the hands of leadership, Chantal Gray, Managing Director at SafetyCloud, said: “The topic around enhancing safety culture in mining operations is something that's very close to our hearts and it speaks directly to our mission of making the world a safer place. The number of women in the mining sector has increased from 3% in 2002 to 15% in 2023, according to stats from the Minerals Council of South Africa. We can see that progress is still slow and we are not seeing the growth being as exponential as what we believe it should be in this space. We also know that safety persists as a major concern, especially for women working underground who face risks like sexual harassment, violence from male colleagues and illegal miners, as well as the harsh conditions underground which only makes the safety for women worse.”
She added: “The industry has made some progress in addressing these safety concerns, with the new guidelines under the Mine Health and Safety Act. These are comprehensive guidelines that form part of a broader initiative to tackle gender-based violence as well as other safety challenges that women are constantly facing in this industry.”
Speakers agreed that building a safety culture started at leadership level, but would be successful should it involve all stakeholders such as union leaders, safety officers, and all employees.
Watch the entire recorded webinar session here: Follow SafetyCloud on LinkedIn for further announcements.
