DBCM Finsch Mine Achieves 6 Million Fatality-Free Shifts

A new safety record of six million fatality-free shifts was achieved at De Beers’ Northern Cape Province underground Finsch Mine on Friday. No other mine in South Africa has achieved this record.

De Beers Consolidated Mines Managing Director David Noko congratulated the miners, saying that this achievement was especially significant at a time when the mining industry is battling to significantly reduce the injury and death rates in mines. “Miners, more than most people, appreciate the huge consequences accidents have on families,” he continued.

Noko called on the mining industry – companies, unions, governments and individuals – to exercise extreme caution and to be aware of the danger they face at work and when off-duty.

The mine’s operations manager, Gerhard van Niekerk, said, “Safety remains the single highest priority for employees and management. Working as one committed group we will continue to intensify our efforts to encourage safe working practices through various initiatives in the work place and in the public domain. We are making every effort to entrench a zero tolerance approach to safety risk.”

Since Finsch Mine achieved its first million fatality-free shift milestone in 2000, the mine’s Lost Time Injury Frequency rate in 2007 decreased from 0.61 to 0.19.