Mining, engineering and project management company Read, Swatman & Voigt (RSV) achieved two safety milestones this year.

The first milestone is continued qualification, which means recertification and continued certification, for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001:2007 certification, which is an international occupational health and safety management system specification.

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Mining, engineering and project management company Read, Swatman & Voigt (Pty) Ltd (RSV) has once again achieved two significant safety milestones. The first important milestone is the continued qualification for OHSAS 18001:2007 certification.

RSV was recommended for recertification by German independent service provider Dekra. It is reportedly the first time that a consultant in Southern Africa has successfully retained certification, says RSV health, safety and environment group risk manager Izak Jooste.

RSV’s projects extends from greenfield deep vertical shafts to brownfield declines and developments below existing workings. Jooste reports, that the company’s ‘Gear Up!’ safety management system contributed significantly to the retention of its OHSAS 18001:2007 certificate. “Gear Up! is also a major contributor in achieving our first million fatality free shifts milestone, and we have just achieved the two million shift mark”, says Jooste. He continued, “Our recertification reinforces RSV’s position as one of the leading EPCMs in South Africa.”

‘Gear Up!’ is a custom-designed software package specific to HSE management practice. This user friendly tool contains linkages to all the relevant Regulations and Acts, demonstrates work activity through dynamic workflow and makes all the documentation and reports available to the user on ‘site’. These guidelines and tools raise the quality of safety management and supervision to new levels ensuring the best possible results.

Managers and supervisors have easy access to the required everyday items, such as planned inspection documentation, planned task observations, risk assessment management and hazard identification. Written from a project perspective, RSV Gear Up can be customised in any mining or industrial environment.

The second significant RSV safety milestone is the achievement of the second Million Fatality Free Shifts recorded in February 2011. Jooste reports, “Many RSV projects have run without any injuries since their inception, which can only be achieved through good teamwork and dedication to health and safety. Project managers are enthusiastically engaged in driving team efforts to achieve their safety goals.”

RSV has managed to reduced the number of injuries over the past three years by 54% culminating in this exceptional milestone. In achieving this milestone the RSV lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) for all projects under RSV supervision has improved with 29%. An improvement in coaching and training has been a major contributor. Before any work starts on a project, project personnel undergo a series of safety inductions run by their own company, by the client and then by RSV. During the induction sessions, personnel are made focussed on hazard identification, a key element in achieving a safe working environment.

RSV remains committed to Health and Safety management and will continue to reduce injuries on their projects as they pursue the next important safety milestone. RSV is geared up for a healthier and safer working environment where zero harm to people is their fundamental objective.