ESG

2022 highlights

• Total injury frequency rate (“TIFR”) at Blanket Mine reduced to 0.75 (from 1.0 in 2021). 
• The mine maintained its four-star NOSA rating. 
• 505 employees completed the Nyanzvi programme.

Working towards zero-harm, safety is our first priority at Caledonia.

Safety

Safety is our first priority at Caledonia, and we are committed to continual improvement in safety performance and achieving a zero-harm working environment for all our employees and contractors. We work hard to create a strong safety culture at our Blanket Mine, which is underpinned by our policies and systems and reinforced by regular training and safety awareness courses. To demonstrate our commitment to this priority, safety targets are set as a qualifier for our employee bonus scheme.

We have a formal safety management system in place at Blanket based on the South African National Occupational Safety Association (“NOSA”) system. Blanket’s safety risk management system is based on the hierarchy of control within the International Labour Organisation (“ILO”) Convention. We operate a “stop, withdraw, think, fix and continue” concept, which is applied by all employees across all work areas.

We believe that people will support systems and initiatives that they have a role in designing and therefore it is important to us that our employees contribute to the development and evaluation of our safety management systems and meetings are held quarterly for our processes to be reviewed. 

The Nyanzvi Initiative

The Nyanzvi initiative at Caledonia is aimed at maintaining high safety standards at Blanket and was designed to facilitate cultural change at the operation. At its core is a culture of responsibility and collaboration – we are focused on co-creating a unique employee development programme that is based on the understanding that it is every employee’s responsibility to safeguard their own safety and that of their fellow employees. 

Occupational health and wellbeing

We are committed to maintaining high standards of hygiene, providing access to healthcare, and promoting physical and mental wellbeing amongst our workforce. Most of our employees live with their dependents at the Blanket village, where they are provided with potable water (treated at our onsite treatment facility) and healthcare services. The mine has also provided water to local communities through the sinking of boreholes. 

The mine has an occupational health centre for employees and their dependents. All new employees undergo health screening before employment at the mine. 

Voluntary testing for HIV/AIDS is available to all employees and dependents at our health centre and counselling services are offered. We also have “peer educators” who conduct door-to-door visits with employees and the local community to raise awareness of medical and well-being matters. In addition, health education is provided to mothers attending the mine clinic on baby clinic days and we vaccinate children under five years old against tuberculosis.