Obuasi Mine – Safety Toolbox Talk
Document No. OBM/OHS/F/010/017
Rev Number: 06
Effective Date. 23/01/2023
Review Date: 23/01/2028
Safety is our FIRST VALUE
29TH APRIL 2024 – 5TH MAY 2024
SHE TOPIC
DAY DATE
NO. SAFETY TOPIC FOR THE WEEK (General Safety)
Mon 29/4/24 1 STAY ALERT, SLAM RISKS
SLAM (Stop, Look, Assess, Manage) is a technique that workers should use when they
feel they are at risk. This technique encourage workers to take control of their safety and
that of those around them and outlines a clear process to follow for maximum safety.
Whether you are operating a piece of equipment, working in the office or workshop either
on surface or underground, safety should always remain a top priority on site.
Be Aware While Working:
• Identify all potential hazards at the workplace
The first step towards keeping yourself safe is to be conscious of your working
environment. Stay alert every moment on the job and continuously look out for hazards.
Watch out for your colleagues as well and never let your guard down.
• All Tasks Require Planning and Communication
When planning tasks, time must be allocated for resources for safety requirements to
enable the team to complete the task as efficiently as possible. Never compromise on
safety when trying to meet deadlines or to boost the quality of work. All risks should be
assessed and managed as much as possible.
• Supervision
All team members should follow safety instructions with no exceptions. A supervisor must
be diligent about following up and enforcing the rules. All workers should be kept informed
about what their fellow team members are doing throughout the day
Safety is Our First Value: Make It Personal
Tues 30/4/24 Safety Day SHE DAY BRIEF
Wed 1/4/24 3 INCIDENT RECALL AGA
On Sunday 25.02.2024 around 11:45am, during the startup of Ball Mill 1, the
Barring Gear Drive system failed to release which resulted in the Gearbox,
Couplings, and Braking System disintegrating into pieces due to failure of holistic
asset integrity assessment and no existing lock pin on the system to keep the gear
open after barring sequence.
Findings or Failed Controls:
• The Shaft sliding mechanism got stuck due to hardened grease from
environmental factors (Unlikely as it was pushed in for barring without any
issues)
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Obuasi Mine – Safety Toolbox Talk
Document No. OBM/OHS/F/010/017
Rev Number: 06
Effective Date. 23/01/2023
Review Date: 23/01/2028
• Someone mistakenly inserting a pin/bold in the engaged position of the
swing lever before startup preventing it from disengaging automatically.
(Possible but there was no such evidence)
• Something else mechanically prevented the barring gear from disengaging
which was removed/destroyed/not detected during or after the incident
when the unit was replaced.
• Failed electrical supply due to supply breaker trip or control signal lost
forcing the brakes to apply by spring. This can be possible with loose
connection, contactor failing, overload trip, cable short, loss of supply etc.)
• Wrong design of locking pin frame (No existing lock pin on the system to
keep the gear open after barring sequence).
• Lack of management commitment to conduct MOC (Existing lock pin on
the system removed without MoC)
Lessons learnt:
• Implement specific PMs with PRTs for Mill’s barring gear system maintenance.
• Improve the Unit’s clutch design.
• Reduce overtime by rotating workers to manage fatigue.
• Establish an optimization plan and communicate.
• Revise the SOP to include the safe distance.
• Get people away from barring Drive during startup.
• Improve the reaction time of proxy interlocks. Re-enforce Safety Guards to control
access and prevent people to be in the line of fire.
• Install automated lock pin on barring gear.
• Implement yearly NDT on barring gears and brake.
• Reinforce management commitment to conduct MoC for any change.
Safety is Our First Value: Make It Personal
Env’tal
Thurs 2/4/24 ENVIRONMENTAL TALKS
Talks
BAN ON THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES WHILE WALKING
Fri 3/4/24 5
The use of mobile phones while walking has been identified as a risk to mobile phone
users and other road users on the Mine. To address this risk, management has decided
to prohibit this practice on the mine.
Hazards of using mobile devices while walking:
• Making or answering phone calls: Inattention to surroundings or lack of
situational awareness resulting in bumping into other road users, falling into open
drains etc.
• Texting while walking: Eyes taken away from path of travel and inattention to
surroundings resulting in being runover by vehicles or other mobile equipment etc.
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Obuasi Mine – Safety Toolbox Talk
Document No. OBM/OHS/F/010/017
Rev Number: 06
Effective Date. 23/01/2023
Review Date: 23/01/2028
• Listening to music with headphones while walking: Noise-induced hearing loss
and inattention to surrounding resulting in being runover by vehicles and other
mobile equipment etc.
How to prevent accidents from distracted walking:
• Employees and contractors must stop at a safe location to answer phone calls or
respond to messages - standing at unsafe locations must be avoided.
• Do not walk with headphones in your ears.
• Every employee and contractor must respectfully intervene, as a duty of care, when
another person is seen using a mobile phone while walking.
Any employee found violating this directive will be considered to have breached site
safety rule or instruction irrespective of whether there is a signage there or not.
Safety is Our First Value: Make It Personal
Sat 4/4/24 6 REGULATION 550 - GENERAL DUTIES OF WORKMEN - L.I. 2182
(1) Each person employed in a mine shall take reasonable care to ensure that the health
and safety of that person and of any other person employed in the mine is not adversely
affected through an act of that person.
(2) A person employed in a mine shall co-operate with the manager of the mine or the
holder of a small-scale mining licence in respect of the mine in the discharge of the
relevant obligations under these Regulations.
(3) An employee is not liable for a contravention of this regulation where the employee
does an act at the direction of a supervisor.
REGULATION 551—DAMAGE TO SAFETY EQUIPMENT-L. I 2182
(1) A person shall not without the consent of the manager of the mine or the holder of the
licence to the mine damage, alter, remove or in any way render useless equipment or an
arrangement which has been provided for the protection of the mine or for the safety or
workmen.
(2) A person who contravenes sub regulation (1) commits an offence and is liable on
summary conviction to a fine of not more than one thousand penalty units or a term of
imprisonment of not more than five years or to both.
Discussion Point:
• What are some of the safety equipment in your workplace?
Safety is Our First Value: Make It Personal
Sun 5/4/24 7 LINE OF FIRE IN SAFETY
What is line of fire?
A simple definition is being in harm's way. Line of fire injuries occur when the path of a
moving object, or the release of hazardous energy, intersects with an individual's body.
In any workplace, there could be many places where an individual finds him or herself in
the line of fire. The specific examples of being in the line of fire will depend on what work
tasks are being completed as well as the work environment itself.
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Obuasi Mine – Safety Toolbox Talk
Document No. OBM/OHS/F/010/017
Rev Number: 06
Effective Date. 23/01/2023
Review Date: 23/01/2028
• Struck-By Incidents: these incidents occur when an individual is struck-by a
moving object. Some examples include being struck by a forklift in the warehouse
or experience an injury due to a dropped object from an elevated surface.
• Caught-In or between Incidents: this is where an individual or a specific body part
is caught in between a moving object and an object that is stationary. Examples
include, getting a hand caught in a moving gear or a stack of material shifting
and pining a worker to a wall. discuss the causes of slips, trips, and falls in mining,
as well as the steps that can be taken to prevent them.
• Being Exposed to Released Energy: many examples of hazardous energy that
when not controlled can injure an employee includes, burning steam from a faulty
valve or flames shooting from a malfunctioning engine causing burns.
How Can We Prevent Line of Fire Injuries?
• Eliminate the hazards that cause the line of fire injury in the first place. Examples
include removing objects from elevated workplace that can fall and strike
employees working below or taking equipment out of service that poses a major
caught in between hazards.
• Implement engineering controls that are effective in protecting workers.
Examples include physical barriers to keep employees out of dangerous work
areas or guards on rotating objects.
• The last defence is wearing the appropriate PPE: PPE should never be relied on
in place of eliminating hazards or engineering controls, but it can help to
minimize damage if you do find yourself a victim of line of fire injury.
Beware of what the hazards are in your workplace and where you can find yourself in
the line of fire
Safety is Our First Value: Make It Personal
“SAFETY is Our FIRST VALUE” SO:
• I WILL WORK SAFELY
• I WILL HELP YOU TO WORK SAFELY
ALWAYS • I WILL LISTEN TO YOU WHEN YOU WANT ME TO WORK SAFELY
REMEMBER THE BECAUSE I AM MR / MISS SAFETY!!!
SAFETY PLEDGE • NO ROCK SHALL FALL UNCONTROLLED
• NO MATERIAL SHALL BE HANDLED UNAIDED
• I WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
• I WILL ABIDE BY THIS PLEDGE, SO HELP ME GOD.
Cc: All Safety Reps, Contractors, Notice Board, File.
In case of any emergency,
0800 400002
Toll free
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