The greatest challenge of any mining company is to ensure the safety and health of its employees and the wider community. At Newmont, the occurrence of any injury is unacceptable. The company invests significant resources in managing safety risks as it strives to achieve an injury-free workplace. It emphasizes to employees and specifically stresses that any task that cannot be done safely, will not be done.
Accordingly, all of Newmont's safety initiatives are aimed at identifying and managing hazards, increasing awareness among employees of potential hazards and making safe the environment in which they work.
The Safety Management Program is based upon "The Three Pillars of Effectiveness:"
- Passion - for safety
- Science - in developing safe systems, practices and behaviors
- Commitment - leadership and commitment in safety
The program is appropriately balanced to address each of "The Pillars."
Safety management systems - including detailed standards and procedures - form the cornerstone of safety at Newmont. Through these programs, all employees have the 'tools' they need to work safely.
The company also has various programs designed to ensure employees are fit to conduct their work in a safe manner. Alcohol consumption, drug use and fatigue are closely monitored and procedures have been established to manage non-conformance in these areas.
Health programs also are crucial in ensuring employees are fit for work. The importance of nutrition and exercise is emphasized - healthy meal alternatives and fitness equipment and activities are provided for live-in employees. Health assessments are made available at many of the company's sites.
Eliminating workplace injuries is an ongoing challenge as situations change and new hazards are identified.
Behavior and culture
Despite its progress toward an injury-free workplace, an unacceptable number of injuries still occur at Newmont's operations around the world. Many injuries are the result of reduced awareness and recognition of workplace hazards. To this end, Newmont developed a Statement of Beliefs and Safety Principles to clarify for employees the priority given to safe behavior at Newmont.
The statement says:
"Newmont's working environment will always be safe, ensuring that our safety performance will be recognized as a model of excellence. We will conduct business 'The Safe Way, the Right Way, Everyday' to achieve business excellence through safety."
We believe:
- Safe production is our most important objective.
- All injuries are preventable.
- Any task that can't be done safely, won't be done.
- Working safely is a condition of employment.
- Everyone is accountable for his or her own safety and the safety of those around them.
- Everyone is expected to identify hazards and manage risks.
- Everyone must maintain the necessary skills to work safely.
There are certain safety practices that, if breached, may lead totermination of employment.
Similarly, Newmont requires safety leaders throughout all levels of the company if it is to achieve an injury-free workplace. The belief is that people will attempt to achieve what their leader values. If the leader values safety, people will attempt to achieve safety within the production goals set by the leader. To achieve this, Newmont developed a Safety Leadership Model.
Safety Leadership Model
Newmont believes a key factor in driving sustainable improvement in safety performance lies with the leadership and behaviors of its management team and all employees.
Accordingly, members of the management team have been charged with the responsibility of being positive role models to their colleagues and at home. They are required to demonstrate their personal commitment to safety in a consistent and meaningful way, all the time.
In order to achieve world-class leadership performance, Newmont has developed a Safety Leadership Model. Newmont requires safety leaders throughout all levels of the company if it is to achieve an injury-free workplace. The belief is that people will attempt to achieve what their leader values. If the leader values safety, people will attempt to achieve safety within the production goals set by the leader.
The model focuses on eight key qualities:
As a safety leader:
- I understand and actively promote our safety and health management standards.
- I actively promote the vision of an injury-free workplace.
- I have high standards of performance.
- I look out for and manage hazards around my workplace and the workplace of my fellow workers.
- I achieve and, where appropriate, set challenging safety goals and objectives.
- I actively participate and encourage others to participate safely.
- I identify good safety practices, and I recognize and acknowledge good performance.
- I openly and frequently discuss safety issues with my colleagues.
Newmont's Safety Leadership Model includes a set of safety accountabilities that are being used to assist management to quantify performance against the model. Completed annually as part of a one-on-one review, the Safety Leadership Model Evaluation Tool highlights areas of a manager's behavior providing the opportunity for feedback between various levels of management. The results of the survey can be used to determine the quality of safety leadership among management and can influence the performance-based component of manager's remuneration.
