Limpopo Business 2020/21 edition

INTERVIEW
• Employees that could work from home were
allowed to and our processes were aligned.
• Additional controls and measures were introduced
on the mine including social distancing measures
on busses, thermal scanning and continuous
sanitising of the workplace.
• A phased and controlled recall process was
introduced to bring back employees over a period
At Venetia Mine, we have put extensive safety,
health and hygiene measures in place to combat
the spread of the virus in the workplace and our
communities. These measures are not limited to
and include:
• A comprehensive risk assessment to identify areas
of potential exposure, including implementing
the required policies, procedures and controls.
Venetia Mine General Manager Gerrie Nortje with
De Beers Group Managed Operations Managing
Director Mpumi Zikalala and Limpopo Health
MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba at the Venetia Mine
Testing Laboratory.
of four to six months.
• A new process was introduced with a telephonic
Covid-19 screening assessment before employees
were recalled.
• Shift arrangements and working schedules were
adjusted to ensure we maintain social distancing
requirements.
All these measures allowed us to recall more
than 70% of our workforce. We are continuing to
ramp up and have adjusted our measures.
What are some of the specific steps to ensure
the safety of staff?
Our employees are at the heart of our business and
we have taken decisive, wide-ranging measures
that are stringently applied to protect both the
health and well-being of them and their families.
• All our employees undergo a mandatory Covid-19
medical screening and induction session prior to
returning to work.
• Our Occupational Medical Practitioners assess and
approve all employees returning to work.
• All our employees have been issued with personal
thermometers for them to monitor their
own body temperatures as part of a daily selfassessment
process.
• The installation of Thermal Scanners at the
entrance of the mine and on our buses to ensure
that 100% of the employees’ body temperatures
are assessed.
• We are continuously educating, training and
ensuring compliance to social distancing on site
and on our vehicles.
• Continuous sanitisation of biometric readers,
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