Anglo American Safety Risk Management Programme wins the IChemE Innovation and Excellence award in Health and Safety

A cross-functional team from within Anglo, University of Queensland and external advisors began to develop a process in 2007 to ‘institutionalise’ safety risk management across Anglo so that everyone would make the right decisions affecting safety.

 

The Institute of Chemical Engineers has just recognised the power and effectiveness of this programme by granting it their ‘Innovation and Excellence in Health and Safety’ Award for 2009. IChemE Chief Executive Officer, Dr David Brown said: “We received a record number of award entries this year from over 20 countries. Winning an IChemE award is an outstanding achievement and I congratulate the Anglo American team on its success.”

 

Cardeas is part of this team, leading on communication and engagement in this global education programme for everyone from mine-workers to the Board which challenges and is positively affecting how employees behave, lead and live with regard to safety, 24/7. A first for the mining industry, the team developed its own safety maturity model to initiate this systemic change across the industry which has already seen over 3000 Anglo supervisors, managers and executives be educated in a mining industry risk management programme. The Safety Risk Management Programme is delivered through partnership with a network of universities around the world.

 

From a blank sheet, geography, literacy, language and differing business needs were some of the communication challenges Cardeas overcame to ensure all those undertaking the programme are engaged in the process, part of the same high quality experience, from the first time they hear of it to the packaging of educational materials they receive as well as the supporting resources provided to those delivering the education.

 

John Landmark, who led the programme through its first 2 years, and now Head of Transformation, Exploration for Anglo commented “Cardeas’ insights and experience with communication and stakeholder engagement ensured we stayed in touch with our audiences. The standards established ... will ensure that this transformational initiative has a major impact across the mining industry.”