Creating a ‘Zero-Harm’ safety culture in the mining industry
Anglo American’s global approach to reducing fatalities in its mines
57%
reduction in fatalities across the group
Challenge
Anglo American, a multinational mining company headquartered in London, found itself at a critical juncture under the leadership of a newly appointed CEO. Safety performance records were a cause for concern with 40 fatalities reported that year and even more in the previous one. Recognizing the urgent need to change, the CEO embarked on a mission to overhaul the company’s culture and performance standards. JMJ was brought in to support this transformative journey, starting with a focus on instilling leadership commitment and alignment at the corporate level. This initial phase extended into more detailed implementation efforts at the business unit level, marking the beginning of a comprehensive program aimed at reshaping the company’s culture and operational performance.
Solution
JMJ focused on safety and leadership, including:
- Conducted executive leadership alignment sessions to underscore the commitment to ‘Zero Harm’, identifying critical areas for safety performance enhancement
- Facilitated four summits:
- Two top 150 leadership sessions
- A tripartite summit involving Anglo leadership, regulators, and unions in South Africa
- A contractor safety summit engaging 50+ supplier CEOs alongside Anglo CEOs
- Guided each division through a corporate assessment process to develop tailored strategies for enhancing safety performance integral to successful business operations
- Contributed to designing and implementing a comprehensive ‘One Safe Anglo’ strategy and program, involving integral assessments of current performance, systems, and culture
Client Goals
- Provide a safe and caring workplace culture throughout its global operations
- Establish a globally standardized approach and aesthetic for the safety program
- Achieve exceptional safety performance
- Shape the standards and norms for safe operations in global mining
Results
Anglo American made significant strides in enhancing safety performance, achieving a 57% reduction in fatalities – from 40 at the time of the new CEO’s appointment to 17 four years later – and a 17% decrease in lost time injury frequency rate, underscoring its commitment to zero harm while effectively managing capital expenditure. Anglo-American’s leadership of a major tripartite safety process in South Africa, involving government, unions, and other mining companies, further reflects its dedication to raising standards across the industry.
Recognitions
The company’s efforts received awards he company’s efforts received awards across its businesses and geographies. These included recognitions for gender sensitivity, contributions to Millennium Development goals, corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance, corporate grant-making, community engagement, and environmental performance. Moreover, Anglo American’s substantial economic contributions, including $4.2 billion in taxes and $13 billion spent with suppliers in developing countries, underscore their genuine commitment to sustainable growth and societal impact.
Fewer fatalities
57% reduction achieved
LTIs decreased
17% fewer Lost Time Injuries (LTIs)
Reduced TRIR
14% decrease in recordable incident rate