we celebrate the outstanding PeoPle oF KuMba iron ... - Words' Worth

category:
Sustainability
category:
Sustainability SAFEty
we celebrate
african achievers
SAFETY
What the judges looked for:
• The measurable difference that the person or team has made to improving safety where they work.
• Improvements must be firmly embedded and can be sustained over the long term.
Speech by Chris Griffith, Chief Executive of Kumba Iron Ore, at the annual
Laurel Awards evening on 22 June 2011.
At Kumba’s annual Laurel Awards evening we honour those
among us who have set the pace in the previous calendar
year. The Laurel Awards are a celebration of our best efforts
as individuals and as teams – specifically in the fields of
safety, sustainability, innovation, and partnership. However,
we do not limit ourselves to these categories only, but also
recognise the efforts of exceptional achievers in other fields.
inception meant that the Trust could pay off its debt six years
earlier than originally envisaged. This will free up hundreds
of millions of Rand for development projects in our host
communities and our labour-sending areas in coming years.
Over and above this, Kumba has invested R134 million in
the last year in the social and economic development of the
communities in which we operate.
In his speech Chris Griffith, CEO of Kumba,
honoured people making a difference, in a
company making a difference.
Highlights
Last year, I said that 2009 was probably Kumba’s best year
ever. History has since proven me wrong, as 2010 was in
many respects an even better year judging from the following
achievements:
l At year-end we recorded 3,3 million lost time injury (LTI)-
free man-hours at Sishen Mine, and the mine went on to
set a new LTI- free record of more than six million manhours.
l Over the same period the Kolomela Project recorded a
massive 8,6 million LTI-free man-hours and the Kolomela
Mine also worked for the whole year without any LTI,
which is an excellent performance for a new crew on a
new mine. Remarkably, the Project is still going strong and
is about to pass the 13 million LTI-free mark. Well done to
you all.
l We also more than doubled our headline earnings in 2010
to R14,3 billion (106% up on 2009);
l We grew production at Sishen Mine by 5% to 41,3Mt;
l We achieved a 6% increase in export sales volumes to
36,1Mt;
l We kept the increase in unit cash costs to 15%; and
l We saved R340 million by optimising the use and size
of our fleet, through our mining maintenance project and
enhancements to drilling and blasting processes.
Dividends
Kumba paid a final cash dividend of R6,8 billion (R21 a
share), which benefited our shareholders, our employees and
the communities in which we operate. We are particularly
proud of the R341 million in dividends we paid to Envision
from the final 2010 SIOC dividend – and I am sure the
members are looking forward to a healthy boost to their
finances later this year when the scheme matures.
Exceptionally, the R989 million in dividends we have
paid to the SIOC Community Development Trust since its
Kolomela
Another highlight was that we managed to keep the
Kolomela Mine development on schedule and within
budget, stripping 18,6Mt of waste material during 2010 and
achieving a half-yearly run rate of 10,4Mt.
Awards
These achievements and others are reflected in the numerous
awards we received last year. These included Best Mining
Company to Work for in the Deloitte Best Company to Work
for survey; Top performing Company of the Year in the 8th
Annual African Access National Business Awards; runner-up
for the second year in the Sunday Times Business Times Top
100 companies survey; a Best Performer in the 2010 JSE
Social Responsibility Index, and being ranked fifth in the Ernst
& Young Excellence in Sustainability Reporting awards.
While impressive, these achievements do not tell the full
story – they paint the big picture, but do not adequately
reflect the individual and team efforts of our people. That is
why we have our Laurel Awards – in recognition of the fact
that Kumba can only achieve through its people. You are
truly people making a difference, in a company making a
difference.
A record number of 223 employees (compared to 193 in
2010) are receiving Laurel Awards, fifteen individuals and
the rest as members of 29 teams.
Fourteen of these awards (five individual awards and
nine team awards) have also been nominated for the global
Anglo American Applaud recognition scheme that will be
adjudicated later this year.
In true Kumba spirit, prizes to the value of R240 000 will
be donated to a range of charities on behalf of the winners in
the various categories. Each Gold, Silver and Bronze winner
will have the opportunity tonight to draw the name of a
charity, which will each receive R20 000 on his or her behalf.
Thanks once again for all your efforts this past year.
t
Gold
Contemporary heroes in the realm of safety
Team: Pieter Rossouw, Hennie Kaltwasser, Willem Roux, Marthinus Engelbrecht, Mick de Pierres,
Floyd Glen Botha, Wayne Kenneth Hibbert, Pieter Theron Walters, Cornelius Jacobus Höll
During 2010 Kolomela (previously Sishen South Project) recorded a Kumba first by achieving 10 million LTI free man-hours. This
record, which surpasses the previous record of 5,4 million LTI free man-hours, has truly raised the bar on safety company-wide.
In addition to the obvious benefits of achieving Zero Harm for this length of time, the company also reaped significant financial
benefits from this exceptional safety record.
Team members attribute this milestone achievement to leader Pieter Rossouw’s exceptional leadership skills. Pieter
displayed on a personal level what it meant to lead and visibly demonstrate the key value of safety to achieve Zero Harm.
The systems and procedures developed by Pieter’s team have subsequently become the standard across all Kumba
operations, paving the way to achieving Zero Harm. Their impact has also permeated the contractor community. Contractors
and Kumba staff alike have been called upon to comply with a variety of safety initiatives rolled out by Anglo American and
Kumba during the review period. While these initiatives were well supported by the project team, a special management
approach was required to encourage contractors to buy-in and accept the additional workload required to comply. This required
a substantial mind shift from conventional construction practices.
Special mention must be made of the team’s contractor management manual, largely developed by Hennie Kaltwasser,
which is expected to become a Best Practice reference document for all future contractor management on Kumba projects, as
an element of the Safety Management System.
The team’s achievement is particularly significant against a backdrop of unexpectedly losing some key members of the
management team during 2009. Pieter stepped up to the plate at this difficult time to reorganise and lead the project, not only
to its milestone safety record, but also to come in ahead of schedule and under budget.
Marthinus Engelbrecht, Willem Roux, Floyd
Glen Botha, Mick de Pierres, Dina Kaltwasser
(accepting on behalf of her husband, Hennie)
and Pieter Rossouw.
This project
has also been
nominated for
Anglo American’s
global recognition
system, Applaud.
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