Sustainable Development Report2010

• GRI Indicators
• Print
• Email

Health and safety

The health and safety of employees is the highest priority for Petra Diamonds. In addition to appropriate risk management processes, Petra has various strategies, systems and training in place to ensure that work places are safe and to encourage a healthy lifestyle for our workforce. Health and safety awareness is encouraged amongst all levels of employees and they are equipped to adhere to the relevant legislation in all the countries in which we operate.

It is with deep regret that we report that an employee lost his life in an equipment-related incident on Sunday 3 January 2010 in an underground workshop at the Koffiefontein mine. Prior to this tragic event, there had not been a fatality at a Petra Diamonds mining operation since 2004.

Managing health and safety

Petra Diamonds encourages the active participation of employees, including contractors, and their various representatives in health and safety related matters.

Health and safety committees, comprising both management and employee representatives, as well as Health and Safety collective agreements, are in place at all operations, in line with the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) (29 of 1996) of South Africa and the Tanzanian Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) (05 of 1998 and its regulations of 1999) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2003. These committees meet on a regular basis to discuss and resolve health and safety related challenges.

The Group’s health and safety policy is tailored to each of Petra Diamonds’ operations and, where necessary, it has been translated into local languages to ensure proper understanding, and is conspicuously displayed on notice boards at all operations.

This policy highlights:

• a commitment to compliance with legislation, standards, policies and procedures;
• a commitment that no employee will be required to work under circumstances which may endanger them or others;
• an acknowledgment that management, unions and employees, including contractors, have a mutual interest and responsibility in respect of health and safety matters;
• a commitment to continual improvement; and
• benchmarking with world class standards.

Safety performance

The Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate ("LTIFR") for Petra Diamonds for FY2010 was 1.03 (FY2009: 0.71). Analyses of incidents have indicated that this deterioration in performance may be ascribed to health and safety procedures not being adhered to, rather than owing to unsafe working conditions. The Company has therefore identified the areas of concern and has appropriate strategies in place to improve performance for FY2011.

During FY2010 Kimberley Underground was the safest underground mine in the Northern Cape region for two consecutive years and was awarded a trophy for this achievement.

Each of the fissure mines – Helam, Sedibeng and Star – achieved 5,000 fatality-free shifts during FY2010, an important safety milestone, and Sedibeng won ‘Best Improved Safety Achievement for Underground Mines in the Northern Cape Region’.

OHSAS 18001 re-certification was achieved by Cullinan Diamond mine.

Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR)

Operation	2010	2009
Cullinan	0.35	0.13
Koffiefontein	1.83	1.09
Kimberley Underground	0.54	0.23
Helam	0.42	1.17
Sedibeng	3.66	2.07
Star	6.25	5.38
Williamson	0.00	0.18
Total	1.03	0.71

Shifts lost as a result of occupational injuries*

Operation	2010	2009
Cullinan	0	0
Koffiefontein	5	0
Kimberley Underground	0	0
Helam	0	0
Sedibeng	0	0
Star	0	0
Williamson	0	0
Total	5	0
* i.e. occupational health issues such as tuberculosis or noise induced hearing loss

Shifts lost as a result of lost time injuries (LTIs)

Operation	2010	2009
Cullinan	445	89
Koffiefontein	6219*	0
Kimberley Underground	56	18
Helam	21	37
Sedibeng	459	562
Star	12	14
Williamson	0	35
Total	7,212	755
* 6,000 shifts at Koffiefontein were lost on the day the fatality occurred

Health performance

All employees across the Company’s mining operations are subject to medical examinations in line with mine health and safety legislation and the minimum standards of fitness, as per the mandatory code of practice. These medical examinations are undertaken annually, on engagement, at transfer or when exiting the Group. In total, 3,322 medical examinations were carried out in 2010.

Medical examinations

Operation	2010	2009
Cullinan	983	1,200
Koffiefontein	761	251
Kimberley Underground	448	371
Helam	374	358
Sedibeng	191	542
Star	162	155
Williamson	403	428
Total	3,322	3,305

The major occupational health risks vary between the Company’s operations depending on their location and the nature of the orebody and mining methods. The primary health threats are noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and occupational lung disease (OLD). In South Africa, pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) places a significant burden on employee healthcare and, where associated with dust environments, is considered a compensable OLD.

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL)

As exposure to high noise levels can lead to loss of hearing, the Group aims to reduce the noise level emitted by all noisy equipment to below 110dbA. This level of noise may be attenuated – through the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) - to below the targeted level of 85dBA.

There were two new cases of NIHL identified in the Company operations in 2010 (FY2009: seven).

Petra is working towards a noise reduction target for 2013 (in line with the South African Mine Health and Safety Council targets) through:

• baseline assessments of all work areas to identify noise reduction needs;
• the silencing of noisy equipment; and
• mandatory wearing of hearing protection devices (HPDs) in areas where noise levels exceed 85dBA.

All underground fans at Cullinan have been sound attenuated and sound attenuated cabins have been installed at all developed ground passes. A noise programme is in place and 155 noise clippers were issued during the year, bringing the total to 600 employees equipped. This has ensured that all high noise risk areas above 85dBA have been addressed.

At Helam, sound attenuated fans were installed on the extraction fans on surface near the Edward hostel.

As part of the renovation of the existing plant at Williamson, three crushers were permanently decommissioned in FY2010 resulting in a noise reduction of 98 to 100 decibels per unit.

The mine also imported more grid power, thus decreasing the use of its power generators (which generate a noise level of 114 decibels each). These power generators are run whenever there are power shortages. In FY2010, the total time required to run the Williamson generators reduced to 168 hours.