Anglo's Safety Risk Management Program (SRMP) developed with the help of UQ researchers, has received an award for innovation and excellence, ousting many strong competitors from a wide range of industries.
A first for the mining industry, more than 3000 Anglo supervisors, managers and executives have already attended the program.
At the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) awards held in York in early November, Anglo was presented with the Innovation and Excellence Award in Health and Safety.
The award recognises the organisation that has best shown exemplary performance in developing technology to identify, assess, manage and control risks or that has collaborated most effectively with government, industry or society to build a common understanding of risk.
Anglo American is one of the world's largest diversified mining and natural resource groups.
Professor Jim Joy, Anglo American's Chair of Minerals Industry Safety Risk Management (SRMP) at The University of Queensland and developer of the material, said the award was particularly significant.
It constituted acknowledgment from outside the mining industry by organisations that have traditionally themselves been recognised as leaders in safety, he said.
"The award will also go a long way towards spreading the SRMP message around the other big mining houses, and indeed around non-mining industries.”
A cross-functional team from within Anglo, UQ and external advisors began developing a process in 2007 to “institutionalise” safety risk management across Anglo so that everyone would make the right decisions affecting safety.
The SRMP suite of training and education courses was finalised in April 2008, and in conjunction with Anglo's University Partners, delivered around the world.
The intention was to establish a world-class “One Anglo” safety risk management process which delivered radical improvement in safety for Anglo’s staff.
The program will also be shared with undergraduate engineering students to help cultivate the next generation of risk-aware safety leaders.
“The program design involved leading approaches to communication and engagement, developed by Cardeas Consulting Limited in the UK. Everyone from mine-workers to the Board is being challenged and the result is positively affecting how employees behave, lead and live with regard to safety, 24/7,” Professor Joy said.
The IChemE awards, now in their 16th year, are highly regarded throughout the international chemical, process and biochemical engineering communities.
IChemE Chief Executive Officer, Dr David Brown reiterated the growing significance and prestige of the IChemE awards.
"We received a record number of award entries this year from over 20 countries. Winning an IChemE award is an outstanding achievement and I congratulate Anglo American on its success," he said.
Media: Tara Young (Advancement Manager (Fundraising and Alumni Relations)) for UQ's Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) on +61 7 3346 3434 or 0408 159 805 or tara.young@smi.uq.edu.au.
