Occupational safety and health

An attitude survey carried out at AngloGold's Ashanti's three operations in Mali (Morila, Sadiola and Yatela) in 2003 revealed that more than 50% of employees felt that safety was essentially a specialised function. This has obvious negative implications for the successful implementation of safety and health improvement programmes. The survey was repeated in 2004 at Sadiola and Yatela, with both mines showing a significant turnaround, following behavioural safety interventions during the year.

The survey was carried out by SafeHuman, an independent consulting company under the guidance of Prof. Petri Schutte, who has build up considerable experience over more than a decade with the Business School of the University of Potchefstroom. The detailed analyses on site were carried out by Prof. Schutte's colleague, Hugo Botha.

The surveys used the methodology known as SafeHuman Mindset. This reflects the state of organisational safety culture as perceived by the workforce. The SafeHuman Mindset Index (SMI) explains the context and meaning of employee behaviour as it relates to safety. Survey results are measured according to five critical factors:

• the SafeHuman Mindset Index;
• relationship credibility;
• impact of worklife experiences, essentially dealing with satisfaction levels;
• impact of the work environment and perceived supportive relationships; and
• behaviour in the context of organisational culture.

A high SMI score indicates a supportive work culture, positive team morale as well as employee responsibility and commitment to performance excellence in safety, quality and productivity. A low SMI reflects potentially immature work relationships and a degree of demoralisation or demotivation among employees or teams. This brings with it a corresponding lack of commitment and sense of responsibility for safe behaviour, which in turn has a dangerous potential to foster or strengthen a fatalistic approach to safety and work.

High scores in the various factors indicate a high level of morale, feelings of personal accountability and responsibility, and mature work relationships while low scores are indicative of low motivation, scepticism, feelings of powerlessness, and, in many cases, an increasing tendency towards a fatalistic attitude regarding workplace safety.

Hugo Botha of SafeHuman comments, "My first impression when I arrived to carry out the follow-up survey was that something was different about the attitude of employees. I sensed a passion for a safe working environment."

This impression is borne out by the results of the follow up survey. Sadiola Mine improved from an index of 44% in 2003 to 67% in 2004, while the corresponding figures for Yatela were 40% and 65%. Results in the other survey factors showed a correspondingly significant improvement from last year's results.

Stan Padgett, general manager at Sadiola and Yatela, comments, "My management team and I are committed to implementing our safety vision developed during the SafeHuman work and to creating understanding at all levels within the workforce and the local community. I understand that, typically, the tendency is for the SMI to reduce before an improvement is noted. We have committed ourselves to avoiding this regression, and our SMI target for 2005 is 77%, for both mines."