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| The Morro Velho Golden
Wives on an underground visit. |
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Case studies
South America |
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| 7.8 New mining technique improves safety and productivity at Serra Grande |
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Employees at Mine III, at Serra Grande, located
in the state of Goi?s in Brazil, are celebrating gains in both safety
and productivity following the adoption of a new mining method in
line with the changing orebody. Serra Grande?s continued safety
excellence demonstrates clearly that safety goes hand-in-hand with
production.
Mechanised mining using the cut-and-fill method ? on which testing
was begun in March 2001 ? has completely changed the nature of
operations at the mine. This is now fully mechanised, with the use
of small electro-hydraulic Jumbos and LHDs operating in the stope.
The LHDs feed 25-tonne Volvo trucks outside the stope. These trucks
then transport the ore to surface.
Until February 2001, the quartz veins in Mine III were mined
manually using the ?room and pillar ? open stope? method. This
method relied on a three-phase process of pneumatic drilling,
blasting and cleaning.
Says S?rgio Cardoso Santos, General Manager of the Serra Grande
Mine, ?Given the instability of the hangingwall (or roof), the
previous mining method made accessing the mining area a much riskier
operation. Production was, on average, 4 to 8 tonnes of ore per
employee per shift. Productivity varied according to the behaviour
of the rock, demanding continuous inspections and adjustments to
operations, at an added cost of about US$23.00 per tonne.
?With the cut-and-fill method, the mined-out areas are filled with
thickened tailings from the metallurgical plant (called hydraulic
backfill) that ensure greater stability of the rock face.
Productivity has also improved with average production rising to 37
tonnes per employee per shift, at an operational cost of US$11.00
per tonne. This has increased the safety of workers even more." |
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| Continued
excellence at Serra Grande |
Serra Grande?s continued excellence in
safety has been recognised. In January 2002, AngloGold launched
a company-wide safety competition to promote and recognise
excellence in mining safety. The award is presented to the
operation which records the largest improvement in safety,
taking both leading and trailing safety indicators into account.
Serra Grande, the first mine to win the AngloGold global safety
competition, was presented with the award in February 2003.
Audits of the mine?s safety management systems showed an
improvement of 20% in terms of Serra Grande?s leading
indicators*, which rose from 75.5% to 90.9%. In respect of
lagging safety indicators, the operation has reduced its LTIFR
by 84% over a two year period.
In addition, during 2002, the mine was awarded NOSA 5-star
status, making it the first underground gold mine in the world
to achieve this. Only one lost-time injury occurred in 2002
following a minor mishap at the plant, and no injuries were
recorded at either of the two underground mines. In fact, the
older of the two mines ? Mina III ? has not experienced a
lost-time accident since its inception nearly five years ago.
*These
leading indicators include:
| 1. |
Housekeeping.
For example roof support around the pit, ergonomic issues,
occupational hygiene, etc. |
| 2. |
Mechanical, electrical
and personal safeguards, including maintenance management,
control of hazardous substances, PPEs, etc. |
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Emergency preparedness:
Fire risk management, drills etc. |
| 4. |
Incident investigation:
Recording, analysis etc. |
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Organisational
management: This includes objectives and target setting,
roles and responsibilities, etc. |
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| 7.9 Taking safety to the family at Morro Velho |
When Roberto Carvalho Silva, head of AngloGold?s
South American operations, mooted that the wives of Morro Velho
employees become involved in the company?s safety initiatives, he
had no idea where this would lead. Today, some three years later,
about 80 wives voluntarily work in support of the company?s safety
initiatives.
Dubbed the ?Esposas de Ouro? (Golden Wives), the group initially
went on field trips to the mines and the industrial plant, and
received training on and information about the company?s safety
programmes and the resources available to protect employees.
?The wives? participation in the safety programme is very important
because it demonstrates their concern for their husbands? safety on
a daily basis,? says Roberto Carvalho Silva, who remains
enthusiastically supportive of the programme. |
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| Getting to work |
?It was interesting because at each step we ran
into the husband of someone in the group. Some of them hid, others
ran away, some were very amused and others even came up to say
hello,? says M?nica Ara?jo Felipe Souza, who is married to Ely da
Concei??o Souza Jr., a mining engineer at Morro Velho.
After the trips and courses, the wives began meeting once every six
weeks or so, to discuss how and where they could make a difference.
?We worked on the buses that take the employees to the mines and the
industrial plant, distributing ?sound bites?, printed on small
cards,? says Maria Piedade Marques C?ndido, wife of Geraldo
Eust?quio C?ndido, a maintenance electrician at Cuiab? Mine.
?We also talked a lot to our husbands at home, put up messages about
safety around the company?s premises, and gave talks to students in
public schools, where we also spoke about accidents inside the
home,? says Piedade.
In 2003, the first class of Golden Wives was certified, and new
members signed up. A new group was formed, this time with 15
members. The goal was to intensify the work carried out by the women
in the community in which they live, working especially closely with
children and youngsters to develop what they call a ?spirit of
safety?.
?We will visit communities, conduct technical talks about safety for
children and youngsters, use drama as a medium of communication, and
find a way to always be close to our husbands, with strong messages
on how important they are to us and our families,? says M?nica
Ara?jo.
The life of underground mechanic Rangel Francisco Figueiredo changed
when his wife, Aparecida Ant?nia Rocha, known as Cidinha, became one
of the Golden Wives. She was one of the first five to sign up and is
still active. Says Rangel, visibly moved, ?I began to pay more
attention to safety when every day, on my way to work, my
eight-year-old daughter would say, ?Daddy, be careful at work?. I am
sure that is a reflection of the work done by Cidinha.?
Another of the project's supporters is driver Gon?alo Ramos J?lio,
who wouldn?t miss a Golden Wives? meeting for anything. He has
driven them to meetings and on field trips from the very first time
the wives met. ?Wherever the Golden Wives go, I?m right there,? he
says.
?The dedication these Golden Wives have put into this project is
impressive, which proves not only their ability to make a
difference, but also their commitment to the safety and well-being
of their families,? he says.
The project has produced impressive improvements in the mine?s
day-to-day safety indicators. The accident frequency rate has been
reduced by more than 40% at Morro Velho, and at Serra Grande, where
the Golden Wives programme has also been adopted, there are very few
accidents on the mine. In fact, the focus there is on ?off-the-job?
accidents, as these cause more injuries than mine accidents.
In 2003 AngloGold received two awards for this programme: First, the
company achieved the Marketing Award in Social Responsibility (run
by the Fundacao Getulio Vargas) as well as the Aberje Award
(Brazilian Association of Corporate Communication) for innovation in
communication. |
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