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8. The road to Zero Harm at the Mozal 2 expansion project
Mozal 2 is a brownfield expansion of the Mozal primary aluminium smelter located at Maputo in Mozambique. The expansion, which essentially doubles capacity, was approved in June 2001; and construction commenced immediately. The first hot metal was produced in April 2003, and it is expected that full production will be achieved in the last quarter of 2003. At the peak of construction, almost 5000 people were employed on the site. During construction, classified injury frequency rates had risen to unacceptable levels. The introduction of a Zero Harm safety program has produced outstanding results.
The challenge of achieving Zero Harm was introduced at Mozal 2 in April 2002, ten months after construction had commenced. From that time, the reporting of Classified Injury Frequency Rates (CIFRs), not just lost time injuries (LTIs), began to be implemented by the project team. A classified injury is any workplace injury that results in the person not returning to their unrestricted normal duties after the day on which the injury is received.
When the project team analysed the CIFR data over the months since construction had commenced, they found the rate had been increasing alarmingly. It became clear that a safety system based on changing behaviour was needed. However, the average time spent by a worker on the site was a little over six months - not much time to win over someone's heart and mind.
Local Mozambicans contributed around 69 per cent of the workhours on the site. For the large majority of these workers, their only training and experience had been gained during their time at Mozal. Language and cultural differences also had to be taken into account.
A dramatic improvement in the safety culture on the site was needed, along with the implementation of a comprehensive behavioural-based safety program. After a slow start in terms of performance improvement, the results of a lot of hard work began to be seen in September as the CIFR trend turned around. A rapid reduction in the CIFR then occurred; and by February 2003, the monthly rate was down to zero. Through to 30 June 2003, the CIFR remained at zero, and over 3.3 million workhours had passed without a classified injury.
A campaign of presenting the Zero Harm message to the CEOs of all the contracting companies on the project had commenced in October 2002. Then followed workshops with the direct contractors, site managers, front line supervisors and the workforce. By March 2003, across the entire site, there was total awareness of the safety team and its goals and the importance of Zero Harm, and all workers understood their individual role in the safety program.
At about the same time, an on-the-job behavioural observation program and near-miss reporting system were implemented, together with an information system that enabled the project team to identify the principal causes of incidents and the poor performers. The worst performing contracting companies were individually encouraged to produce safety systems that would make a difference.
Around December 2002, lead indicators were introduced to improve the level of proactive safety management. These indicators included compliance with personal protective equipment requirements, numbers of safe practice observations completed against target, and numbers of people who are aware of the risks associated with a task.
It was recognised that the most important factor in improving safety performance is visible safety leadership, which means every manager and supervisor setting an example by getting out of the office, walking around the site, engaging with the workforce and actively promoting safety.
When there is a safety problem on the Mozal expansion project, it is fixed immediately, even if it means stopping production. For example, fatigue was identified as a major contributor to accidents. It was discovered that contractors were not observing regulations requiring that workers have regular rest days. The tough decision was made to virtually close the site every Sunday. The rested workers were more productive, and there was no negative impact on progress.
The safety initiatives developed on the Mozal expansion project are transferable to other projects and operations environments. The Hillside 3 aluminium smelter expansion project in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, began with Zero Harm as a major focus; and the safety team has made full use of the Mozal lessons. From the beginning, safety performance has been exceptional. At 30 June 2003, with over 6.6 million workhours, the CIFR at Hillside 3 was 1.83. The drive towards Zero Harm continues at all levels of the organisation.
The results achieved on the Mozal and Hillside expansion projects demonstrate that dramatic improvements in safety performance can be achieved without sacrificing other aspects of performance. New industry benchmarks in schedule and cost performance have been set. The key is an overriding commitment to the safety program and the goal of Zero Harm.
