SAFETY AND HEALTH
 In our opinion, Selected Data marked in the Report to Society 2004 with this symbol adequately reflect AngloGold Ashanti's performance in all material respects.
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Occupational safety and health
2 Key indicators
Safety:
- 32 employees lost their lives in work-related accidents in 2004, 31 of these at the South African operations and one at the Morila mine in Mali. In 2003, 43 employees lost their lives in work- related accidents.
- The group's Fatal Injury Frequency Rate (FIFR) was 0.19 per million man hours worked, which is a 34% improvement on the previous year's rate of 0.29. This reflects an improvement of 51% on the FIFR of 0.39 achieved in 1998.
- The FIFR was 0.29 per million man hours in the South Africa region (which employs 66% of the workforce), an improvement of 16%.
- The group's Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) also declined by 26% to 6.56 per million man hours, the lowest ever in the group, from 8.83 the previous year. This reflects a 54% improvement on the LTIFR of 14.52 achieved in 1998 (when AngloGold was established).
- The LTIFR for the South Africa region was 9.11, an improvement of 12% on the previous year.
Health:
- 51,084 occupational medical surveillance examinations (initial, periodical, transfer and exit) were performed in the South Africa region during 2004 in accordance with the requirements of the Mine Health and Safety Act. Medical surveillance is also undertaken at other operations.
- 285 new cases of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) were compensated in the South Africa region during 2004, which is a rate of 7 per 1,000 employees. This is a decrease of 61% on the previous year's rate of 18 per 1,000 employees.
- 319 cases of occupational lung disease (OLD) were compensated in the South Africa region during 2004, which is a rate of 8 per 1,000 employees, double the rate of 4 reported last year. HIV, silica exposure, TB and an ageing workforce all play a role in OLD.
- 1,386 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) were detected and treated during the year, which is a rate of 35 per 1,000 employees, up from a rate of 33 last year. The rates are increasing despite intensive efforts to both detect and treat TB. This is because of an increasing incidence of HIV and AIDS amongst a silica-exposed workforce. It is estimated that over 80% of individuals detected with TB are HIV-positive. TB in silica-exposed employees, who do not have concomitant silicosis, is not classified as an occupational disease outside of South Africa and is therefore not reported.
- Dust (silica) control on the South African mines improved. No Homogenous Exposure Group (HEG) above the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) of 0.1mg/m3 was recorded in 2004.
- 100% of underground rockdrills and 98% of all critical fans have now been silenced.
Our opinion is based on a test of the reliability of the selected data by way of:
In relation to selected data marked with
, on which we have provided reasonable assurance:
- conducting interviews and holding discussions with management, key personnel and/or stakeholders of AngloGold Ashanti limited and assessing data trends;
- obtaining an understanding of the systems used to generate, aggregate and report the selected data;
- conducting site visits to test systems and data and inspecting premises where necessary;
- assessing the completeness and accuracy of the selected data; and
- reviewing and analysing collected information and effecting re-calculations where considered appropriate.
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Our Values & Business Principles
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Occupational safety & health (PDF - 2.15MB)
Number of fatal accidents (Group)
