De Beers is determined to achieve and maintain the highest standards of safety at its operations.
Safety is of critcial importance across the De Beers Family of Companies
Levels of safety achieved are among the highest in the extractives sector. Hazards associated with diamond mining include working in noisy and dusty environments, as well as the use of heavy machinery and electrical apparatus.
Underground mining introduces the risks of rock falls, entry to confined spaces and flooding of workings. Marine mining introduces the risks of working on unstable platforms, cold seas and underwater diving operations.
Managing these risks requires stringent adherence to codes of practice. It also requires a workforce culture that places sharp focus on safety, reinforced by the active participation of management, systematic training and stringent internal and third party auditing.
Baseline, issue-based and continuous safety risk assessments are conducted at all of our mining operations. Employees and contractors follow health and safety practices consistent with our Safety Policy and Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Service (OHSAS) 18001.
We conduct regular health and safety audits to evaluate our performance and report outcomes to the De Beers Board via the Environment, Community, Health and Safety (ECOHS) Committee. The Safety Principal, Occupational Hygiene Principal and Chief Medical Officer also complete internal assessments on legal compliance, disaster management, noise and other control processes.
Every worker is represented in joint committees and daily briefings with managers to monitor and advise on health and safety programmes.
Beyond OHSAS 18001
The OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety standard represents a minimum level of safety at our mining operations. All active mining operations except Snap Lake are currently certified to the standard. This includes our marine operations in southern Africa.
In addition to OHSAS 18001, occupational health and safety standard, the Family of Companies has its own health and safety management system: the Safety and Health Diamond Grading System.
The Diamond Grading System is more rigorous than OHSAS 18001 and includes additional elements on performance management, behaviour-based safety and contractor management, as well as provisional criteria on medical and environmental health surveillance.
Internal Diamond Grading System audits are externally verified by third parties as part of the OHSAS 18001 audit process.
The DTC Diamond Best Practice Principles (BPPs) and associated Assurance Programme provide an additional third party verification on our “system” integrity. They apply to both the Family of Companies and our Sightholder clients.
More about the Best Practice Principles (BPPs) >
Behaviour-based safety
We actively work with regulatory agencies, employee representatives and local communities to promote partnership and shared responsibility on safety issues and enable a supportive and accident free safety culture.
We also foster constructive relationships between management and employees to promote transparency about the root causes and consequences of poor safety behaviour. Our leadership culture requires managers to lead by example and demonstrate their commitment to safety.
Engaging employees and contractors
Formal mechanisms for engaging and building employee awareness on safety issues include emails to safety professionals and mine employees, posters, other on site notices and formal safety meetings.
All new employees, contractors and site visitors are required to attend a health and safety induction before being allowed on site. All employees are also involved in formal meetings at the workplace to discuss issues of concern and determine how they should be addressed.
Issues left unresolved may be referred to the Safety Peer Group or ECOHS Committee for remedial action.
Contractors adhere to the same standards and monitoring practices as our own employees.
The guidelines will help ensure contractors are fully embedded into the workforce, that training records are checked and that background training includes fatal risk control.