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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cToo often, safety is seen as a system to be followed instead of a culture to be owned,\u201d says Trevor Schultz, Risk Executive at Cementation Africa. \u201cWe have taken deliberate steps to make safety intrinsic to the way we engineer our working environments, especially in high-risk activities like shaft sinking and underground development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This shift began more than 21 years ago, when the company brought together two operations with different safety systems and cultures. \u201cWe recognised that procedures alone don\u2019t save lives – people do,\u201d Schultz says. \u201cAnd people are empowered to make the right decisions when they work in environments that are designed to eliminate hazards at the source.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cementation Africa\u2019s in-house mine engineering team is tasked not only with technical excellence, but with designing solutions that inherently reduce exposure to risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur design philosophy is simple,\u201d John Goulding, Study Manager in the Mine Engineering department at Cementation Africa , says. \u201cWe aim to enable the environment for people to work safely. That means thinking about safety at the concept stage – not as a retrofit once something has gone wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Backed by an in-depth understanding of the underground mining environment, the mine engineering team brings decades of hard-earned expertise to every project. \u201cThere is deep knowledge and practical experience within our team,\u201d says Goulding. \u201cBut what sets us apart is how we apply that knowledge, through an innovative mindset and the integration of new technologies that enhance both safety and efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From innovative shaft sinking methods to mechanised systems that limit human interaction in hazardous zones, the goal is to create conditions where safe work is the default. \u201cIf you engineer the task with safety at its core, you remove reliance on human behaviour as the first line of defence,\u201d Goulding adds. \u201cThat is the real power of design – it prevents incidents before they can even occur.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cementation Africa has also shifted from a reactive to a proactive safety approach, supported by real-time reporting and a culture of accountability at all levels. \u201cOur teams are encouraged to raise anything that makes them feel unsafe – without fear of blame. These leading indicators allow us to respond before something goes wrong,\u201d Schultz says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Key to embedding this culture is what the company calls Visible Felt Leadership (VFL) – where safety leadership is demonstrated daily, not just declared. \u201cIt is not about enforcing rules from the top down,\u201d Schultz explains. \u201cRather it is about everyone, from executives to supervisors to frontline crews, actively owning the safety philosophy and leading by example.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This culture also extends to Cementation Africa\u2019s subcontractors and partners. Every specialist brought onto a project is required to align with the company\u2019s systems and safety expectations. \u201cYou can\u2019t have a double standard on safety. If you are working on our site, you follow our way,\u201d Schultz explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, engineering for safety is not a single initiative but an ongoing commitment \u2013 an approach that continues to evolve alongside technology, data and operational experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is a journey that we take every day, through every project,\u201d Goulding says. \u201cAnd it starts with smart safe design and engineering.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At Cementation Africa, safety is not treated as a checklist item, rather it is the very foundation of how the company designs, plans and executes its projects. This mindset is rooted in a philosophy that safe working environments must be engineered, not just managed. Having evolved beyond compliance-driven approaches, Cementation Africa has embedded safety into … Continue reading ENGINEERING FOR SAFETY: CEMENTATION AFRICA\u2019S DEEPLY EMBEDDED COMMITMENT TO RISK ELIMINATION<\/span> <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n