This morning, Exxaro Resources Limited hosted its annual CEO Sustainable Impact Summit at its Matla Mine, in Kriel Mpumalanga. This year’s event placed emphasis on a comprehensive commitment to safety, prioritising Exxaro’s zero-harm vision where all employees can make it home safely after a day’s work.
Although the company has been fatality free 1 year, 8 months, the mining industry suffered 53 fatalities, 11 more than in 2022, reflecting a 20% regression. This highlights that the industry has a lot of work to be done to ensure the safety of employees.
The mining giant’s CEO Sustainable Impact Summit serves as a platform for the company, its employees, union representatives, and key stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to safety as not only a duty, but a collective responsibility to ensure that each man and woman gets home safely at the end of their shift.
This year’s theme, Leave the world a better world than we find it serves as a call to action that underscores the importance of the mining industry’s willingness to act within its sphere of influence to improve safety outcomes. The ethos of the summit is Exxaro’s commitment to its responsibility of ensuring a safe work environment and a more sustainable and resilient world for all.
Addressing over 5000 employees from all levels of the organisation, CEO Nombasa Tsengwa emphasised the company's commitment to its people: “Our safety is a moral imperative that underpins the sustainability and efficiency of our operations. All of us must strive to achieve our ultimate safety goal of zero-harm by proactively managing safety risks through the strict and consistent implementation of our five Safety Focus Areas. Before we are coal miners, we are people – and as an organisation whose heart is its people, safety is paramount. We will only achieve the objectives of our Sustainable Growth and Impact strategy by managing safety-related risks and preventing incidents as part of our overall all objective of social impact. The impetus is to solidify our commitments to the Environmental, Social and Governance goals (ESG) we have set at Exxaro to ensure that we meet our future aspirations."
The Summit featured panel discussions led by Exxaro frontline employees, and other subject matter specialists that delved into critical topics surrounding mental health and workplace safety, aiming to reduce Lost-Time Injuries, accidents and fatalities.
By hosting the CEO Sustainable Impact Summit, Exxaro demonstrates its dedication towards catalysing collective action. The event showcases Exxaro’s unwavering commitment to safety which unites individuals across the organisation. By harnessing diverse talents, innovative ideas, and collective resources, employees walked away with a revigorated commitment to a singular purpose: safety always, all the way.