Ensuring the safety of our employees and wider mine communities

As a responsible mining company, we follow best practices in global safety standards and are seeing improvements in injury frequency rates and a long-term reduction in fatal accidents. We continue to design and implement strategies to eliminate high potential incidents, fatalities and catastrophic events.

Our aim to achieve zero harm across our operations is led by our executives and the line managers responsible for integrating safety measures into our business practices. Risk management and critical control modelling result in continued efforts to strengthen safety protocols and preventative measures.

The SES Committee oversees implementation of our safety strategy. In 2020, we reassessed our safety strategy, highlighting areas of improvement and presenting measures to achieve our safety targets. In 2021, we introduced a three-year work plan to revitalise our safety strategy.

Our three-year work plan focuses on four areas:

Leadership and people

We developed a safety induction programme for all leaders and implemented a health of discipline process with associated competency assessments. Clearer lines of accountability were established and information from work done with Dupont Sustainable Solutions in Brazil was shared with all sites to ensure alignment in organisational culture programmes. Additional work is planned that will align accountabilities of line management and safety support staff to the new Operating Model. Clear, measurable and binary leadership behaviours are being designed to support the execution of the safety strategy.

Work processes

An Integrated Sustainability Information Management System (iSIMS) is being implemented for all sustainability disciplines. The system will effectively integrate operational risk management and KPIs at all levels of the organisation. All contractors are trained in AngloGold Ashanti’s safety practices. All sites except Obuasi in Ghana, which is in project development phase, are ISO 45001:2018 certified.

Technology and innovation

We continue to embrace proven technology to support our safety goals. We introduced a Centre of Excellence portal to share safety updates and lessons. Following the launch of the Innovation for Cleaner and Safer Vehicles Initiative involving ICMM member companies and equipment manufacturers, we conducted a gap analysis on vehicle safety.

Risk management

We are reviewing and simplifying our major hazard control standards and reviewing our critical monitoring programme to ensure verification and checks are well understood and effectively carried out. We aim to ensure that all employees and contractors understand the critical risks related to their work and are able to apply the appropriate controls to manage these risks. Please refer to the <IR> Risks and Opportunities Management section for more information.

Ensuring the safety and well-being of employees and those in our wider mine communities is our main priority.

Prioritised SDG

Related case study

Iduapriem improves safety through fatigue management

COVID-19

Our systems and processes to address the challenges brought by COVID-19 have continued to improve. The pressure on labour supply, particularly in Brazil and Australia, and the resultant staff turnover, has made safety training for new recruits an even greater focus. Travel restrictions in some jurisdictions have limited staffing availability and led to increased roster periods. These factors, alongside the impact of the ongoing pandemic on mental health, have potential implications from a safety perspective. These are being addressed by each site in line with their specific needs and operating context. For additional detail, see Employee and Community health.

Our performance

Sadly, during the year we lost two of our colleagues in fatal incidents. Fatal incidents are a harsh reminder of the safety journey we must still travel to achieve zero harm at all our operations. We recommit to remaining vigilant and working to ensure employees return safely to their families every day. See in memoriam.

DATA TABLES

Interactive chart generator

Indicator	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
All injury frequency rate (per million hours worked)
Group (including sold assets)*	2.14	2.39	3.31	4.81	7.49
Group (excluding sold assets)*	2.14	1.68	2.14	2.26	1.98
Americas	3.55	3.68	3.84	3.97	3.29
Africa	0.61	0.59	0.62	0.49	0.39
South Africa	0	6.12	6.60	10.25	12.68
Australia	6.59	3.74	7.33	9.14	8.53
Employees	1.70	3.12	4.38	6.56	9.81
Contractors	2.42	1.74	2.13	2.13	3.14
Fatal injury frequency rate (per million hours worked)
Group (including sold assets)*	0.03	0.07	0	0.03	0.06
Group (excluding sold assets)*	0.03	0.03	0	0.02	0
Americas	0.04	0	0	0.05	0
Africa	0.02	0.05	0	0	0
South Africa	0	0.30	0	0.07	0.11
Australia	0	0	0	0	0
Employees	0.04	0.10	0	0.04	0.06
Contractors	0.02	0.05	0	0.03	0.05
Lost time injury frequency rate (per million hours worked)
Group (including sold assets)*	1.08	1.62	2.26	3.37	5.69
Group (excluding sold assets)*	1.08	0.94	1.16	1.11	1.02
Americas	2.31	2.55	2.72	2.47	1.86
Africa	0.17	0.25	0.31	0.12	0.15
South Africa	0	5.21	5.35	8.21	10.08
Australia	2.20	0.79	1.68	3.12	3.76
Employees	0.92	2.40	3.56	4.96	7.60
Contractors	1.19	0.93	0.83	1.22	2.10
Injury severity rate (per million hours worked)
Group (including sold assets)*	57	103	122	197	314
Group (excluding sold assets)*	57	43	53	38	29
Americas	139	111	135	98	77
Africa	11	16	17	9	3
South Africa	0	422	316	538	582
Australia	10	8	26	14	5
Employees	69	177	201	304	456
Contractors	49	38	35	54	49
Occupational fatalities (number)
Group (including sold assets)*	2	6	0	3	7
Group (excluding sold assets)*	2	2	0	1	0
Americas	1	0	0	1	0
Africa	1	2	0	0	0
South Africa	0	4	0	2	7
Australia	0	0	0	0	0
Employees	1	4	0	2	5
Contractors	1	2	0	1	2
High-potential incidents (Actual number)
Group (including sold assets)*	91	177	140	140	210
Total recordable Injuries number (number)
Group (including sold assets)*	158	199	283	415	913
Group (excluding sold assets)*	158	118	135	133	117