By encouraging a prevailing culture of safety and mutual well-being, drilling technology solutions provider Rosond of Midrand has achieved a year of Zero harm at its Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine in the Northern Cape.

The company has had great success in training all-female crews at Kumba iron ore. Image credit: Rosond

The company has had great success in training all-female crews at Kumba iron ore. Image credit: Rosond

Senior Site Manager Clayton Coetzee attributes this achievement to close cooperation between department heads, line management, and HSE officers to continually improve standards. “We always try to improve our processes and strive to make the working environment safer and easier to manage,” says Coetzee. “We encourage employee suggestions and input, together with client interaction. We are all in this together, and together we truly can make a difference.”

Rosond Safety Manager Andre Kleynhans comments: “The biggest contributing factor to this achievement is that we are truly our sister’s and brother’s keeper, meaning we always look after each other’s safety and well-being.” A culture of caring and responsibility is inculcated on-site, which allows anyone at any time to stop somebody who is doing something unsafe, so nobody is injured.

“At the end of the day we all go home safe to our families,” says Kleynhans. He adds that the new drill rig technology Rosond has introduced at Kumba has played a major role in safe operations, especially in carrying out hazardous tasks such as handling drill rods, which is now automated. As a result, Rosond has successfully trained female drill rig team members at Kumba.

“We are very proud of our safety culture and aim to keep our employees safe at all times,” concludes Rosond MD Ricardo Ribeiro.

Senior site manager Clayton Coetzee. Image credit: Rosond

Senior site manager Clayton Coetzee. Image credit: Rosond