21 Million Fatality Free Shifts for JIC

THABAZIMBI – Against a background of sporadic labour unrest and fatalities in the mining industry JIC Mining Services has good news. JIC achieved its 21st one million fatality free shifts on 5 November 2007. A fatality free shift is a shift during which no employees die because of a mine related incident. With an average workforce of 9800 employees distributed over mines across the country it took JIC 103 working days (excluding Saturdays) to attain this achievement. In the Thabazimbi area JIC Mining has contracts at Amandelbult, Swartklip, Impala and BRPM. According to JIC their achievement can be ascribed to JIC’s intentional safety strategy, called Zero Harm. This strategy resides on four pillars. The first is to instill a mindset of working safely at all times. Secondly employees must show leadership by knowing the safety procedures of the specific mine as well as those of JIC. Thirdly they must continuously make a risk assessment of their working environment and lastly they must apply safe systems at all times. According to dr Leon van Zyl (Communications Manager) the management of JIC is very proud of this achievement for they believe that one fatality is one lost life, not only for the person himself, but also for his family and friends.