Safety Manager Sipho Nkosi

IMenenja yezokuPhepha, uMnu uSipho Nkosi

Sipho ensures that ZAC is in safe hands

ZAC recently celebrated 5000 fatality-free shifts in October 2021, which is a major safety milestone and a testament to the high safety standards at the mine. No fatalities have been recorded at the mine in over 10 years. “Our goal is to ensure there is never again a life lost at the mine,” says ZAC Safety Manager Sipho Nkosi (39), who started working at the mine in February 2021. He is committed to ensuring that ZAC complies with the industry principle of Zero Harm. He has 11 years of mining industry experience, holds a national diploma in Safety Management and a Risk Management qualification.

ZAC also launched the Critical Season campaign under the theme “Work Safely, Our Family is Waiting for Us at Home”. Mine staff members were asked for the sake of their families to pledge to:

  • Work safely around the roof support

  • Safely apply isolation and lockout where needed

  • Safely operate TMM and drive safely on the roads

  • Conduct a Take 5 (risk assessment) before performing any activities

  • Ensure that they are alcohol and drug-free at work

  • Manage their health to prevent fatigue at work

“We are also committed to reducing our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIF), which currently stands at 0.38 as of 31 December 2021. Our zero-harm objective includes aiming for zero high-potential incidents. We believe this can be achieved if everyone adheres to our safety protocols,” asserts Sipho.

He also points out that the company has done well to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) at the mine by adhering to all the relevant regulations and protocols including, but not limited to, wearing face masks at all times, sanitising hands regularly and wherever possible maintaining physical distances between employees of 1.5 meters.

Working with the Department of Health, ZAC regularly runs COVID-19 vaccination drives at the mine’s clinic. Employees have responded positively to the campaign. To date, over 180 employees have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Vaccinations help in preventing people from getting critically ill from COVID-19. Preventing the spread and mitigating the risk of serious illness and death is part and parcel of ZAC’s commitment to achieving the goal of Zero Harm,” Sipho states.

uSipho wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi iZAC isezandleni eziphephile

“Inhlosonqangi yethu ukuqinisekisa ukuthi akusashoni muntu ezimayini,” kusho uMnu uSipho Nkosi (39) oyimenenja yezokuphepha emayini oqale ukusebenza kulemayini ngenyanga ngoMasingana we-2021.  UNkosi usenesipiliyoni seminyaka engu-11 esebenza ezimayini kanti uneziqu zeDiploma in Safety Management and Risk Management. I-ZAC iphinde yathula ngokusemthethweni umkhankaso ngaphansi kwesiqubulo esithi “Asisebenze ngokuphepha, imindeni yethu isilindile emakhaya.” 

Kube sekucelwa lezi zisebenzi ukuba zizinakekele ukuze ziphephise imindeni yazo ngaphansi kwemigomo ethi:

  • Azisebenze ngokuphepha ngaphansi kophahla

  • Azilandele imigomo nendlela yokukhiya nokucisha ephephile

  • Azisebenzise imishini yokugada ngokucophelela futhi zishayele ngokuphepha emgwaqweni

  • Azihlole ukuthi ayikho yini ingozi ngokulandela izitebhu ezinhlanu zokuhlola ingozi

  • Aziqinisekise ukuthi azizi emsebenzini ziphuzile noma zidle izidakamizwa

  • Azigade, zizinakekele ukuthi zingakhathali

“Sizibophezele ngokubambisana ukunciphisa izinga lokulahleka kwesikhathi ngenxa yokulimala kwezisebenzi nokuyimanje lehle layoma ku0.38 kusukela ngomhla ka-31 kuZibandlela wezi-2021. Inhloso yethu ngaloluhlelo lwezokuphepha sihlose ukuthi kungabi khona abantu abalimalayo emsebenzini futhingiyakholelwa ukuthi lokhu singakwenza ngokubambisana uma wonke umuntu ezolandela imigomo nemibandela yezokuphepha. Kuqhuba uNkosi.

Uphinde wacacisa ukuthi lenkampani isebenze kahle kakhulu ukuzama ukugwema nokuvikela izisebenzi zayo ekuthelelaneni ngesifo esiwubhubhane iCoronavirus okubalwa ukugqoka isifonyo ngaso sonke isikhathi, ukufutha izandla ngesibulalimagciwane, ukugeza izandla ngamanzi anensipho nokuqhelelana isikhala esingu-1.5m.

I-ZAC ngokubambisana nomnyango wezempilo yenza izinhlelo zokugomela iCOVID-19 emtholampilo yasemayini kanti nezisebenzi ziluthakasele lolu hlelo. Sezingaphezu kuka-180 izisebenzi esezigome ngokugcwele.

“Ukugoma kusiza ukuvikela abantu bangaguli kakhulu uma behaqwe yilesi sifo kanti futhi kuvikela ukuthi singabhebhetheki ngamawala okuzoholela ekufeni kwezisebenzi nokuyilokho i-ZAC ezama ukukunqanda” kuphetha uNkosi.

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