At Anglo American, safety is our number one priority. On Global Safety Day, we pause, reflect and renew our focus on safety as a company and as individuals.
On 23 October, colleagues came together at various events across our operations to re-dedicate themselves to Standing up for Safety, Together – as the theme of this year’s Global Safety Day.
To mark Global Safety Day, our Chief Executive, Duncan Wanblad, visited our Los Bronces operation in Chile. The visit was also virtually broadcast to our colleagues at our El Soldado mine and the team in the Santiago office.
Reminding colleagues of the importance of Global Safety Day, Duncan said:
“As we mark Global Safety Day today, I ask each one of you to commit to putting safety first. There can be no excuses, distractions, circumstances or demands that come before safety. Beyond being our first Value, safety transcends every area of our lives and is present in everything we do, at work and outside work. Always.”
In a powerful show of unity and commitment, 1,200 employees gathered for Global Safety Day at Anglo American’s 144 Oxford Road offices in Johannesburg. The event reinforced our colleagues’ dedication to embedding safety in every aspect of our work.
Alison Atkinson, Projects & Development Director, opened the day with a clear message:
“Absolutely nothing is more important than our safety.”
During the event, employees participated in a safety masterclass focused on psychological safety, accountability and having the courage to act when risks arise.
The event also included four interactive zones – ‘Health and Wellness’, ‘Road Safety’, ‘Cybersecurity’, and ‘Safety Best Practices’ – providing hands-on safety learning experiences, including everything from hazard identification to anti-hijacking response.
Employees took away a heightened understanding that every action counts, that every voice matters, and that Anglo American is committed to ensuring that everyone returns home safely each day.
At Kumba Iron Ore, the team celebrated Global Safety Day with a focus on “Own Safety, Share Safety, Do Safety”, and with a special emphasis on their Daily Safety Rhythms and Routines.
Mpumi Zikalala, CEO of Kumba Iron Ore, said: “To truly own safety means taking responsibility for ourselves and those around us. It means having the courage to do the right thing, every time.”
At our corporate headquarters at 17 Charterhouse Street in London, over 700 colleagues came together, virtually and in-person, to hear from Matt Daley, Technical and Operations Director, Sarah Bell, Head: Technical SHE Support, Environment, Permitting and Mine Closure, Malebogo Mpugwa, Chief People Officer – De Beers, and a special guest speaker Dr Jo Salter, Britain's first female fast jet pilot.
The speakers shared some touching personal stories and emphasised how safety is and will always be our number one priority, and our first and most important Value.
In his address, Matt Daley said: “Sometimes trusting your gut feeling can save lives, if something doesn't feel right, it's best to stop and re-assess... Each and every one of us – our teammates, our colleagues, the contractors we work with, the suppliers we engage with, the visitors to our sites – everyone deserves to go home safely, every single day."
At our Crop Nutrients business, the team welcomed safety motivational speaker, Tom Corfield, who shared the inspiring story of how he has overcome adversity and dedicated himself to prioritising safety, after losing his eyesight in a workplace incident at just 17 years’ old as an apprentice in the construction industry. Tom gave an insightful and heartfelt speech about the importance of having the courage to stand up for safety, even when it doesn’t feel comfortable.
Across our operations in Brazil, we hosted 13 sessions across eight sites, with more than 3,000 employees and contractors in attendance to highlight the importance of safety.
This year, our Brazilian operations integrated Global Safety Day with ‘accident prevention in mining' week, filled with safety-related activities, workshops, games and family visits, to empower our people to stand up for safety.
Across our operations in Peru, various events took place on Global Safety Day to promote the theme of Standing up for Safety, Together.
In Singapore and Shanghai, colleagues took part in a virtual joint plenary for Global Safety Day. Opening remarks were provided by Matt Walker, CEO of our Marketing business, and a keynote presentation was given by Captain JoDee Lee, from the Singapore Airlines Academy, who gave the team his insights on safety from the perspective of the aviation industry.
To cap off the event, Peter Lye, Executive of Head Marketing for Shipping & Safety, awarded five teams and individuals special recognition for going above and beyond for safety.
Peter said: “Our strength as a business, and our strength in keeping people safe, only comes from the collective.”
In Australia, the team welcomed retired Wing Commander, Top Gun fighter pilot and Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall to our Steelmaking Coal business.
Matt shared his inspiring journey with our teams on site, including how he manages safety and risk both up in the air and on the ground. In return, Matt got to experience a dragline in action at our Capcoal Open Cut operation and went underground for the first time with our Aquila team.
In Finland, the team at our Sakatti project gathered for Global Safety Day to produce 'handprint stamps' as a commitment to Standing up for Safety, Together.
