Rio Tinto has paused production at its SimFer project in Guinea after a contractual employee lost his life in an unfortunate incident on August 22. An immediate and detailed safety review has been initiated in collaboration with relevant authorities. The move underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to strengthening workplace safety across all its global operations, including its bauxite and aluminium portfolio.
Safety an utmost priority now
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said, “We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues impacted by this tragic event as well as the wider community. We will offer all the support we can at this very difficult time, and a thorough investigation will take place together with the relevant authorities to establish the causes of this tragic incident.”
Although the Simandou project revolves around iron ore, this fatality puts the spotlight on the safety record across all divisions of the company. This tragedy points to the nature of risks associated with heavy industrial operations and the persistent problem of getting to a zero-harm workplace.
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New safety protocols in the pipeline across portfolios, including bauxite and aluminium
To offset such risks, Rio Tinto has been operating a holistic system of safety controls. One of these is to standardise work procedures and mitigate risks prior to their occurrence. This is followed by the identification and management of hazards through rigorous verification checks to assure that life-saving controls are present and functioning effectively for the most hazardous tasks.
The probe into the SimFer incident will be essential in offering lessons to strengthen these safety measures. To a company as large as Rio Tinto, maintaining the safety of all employees and contractors continues to be its biggest challenge.
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