In this study, a new risk management approach was applied to mitigate fatal incidents through
the utilization of critical controls. The aim of this study was to create a scalable, minimally invasive
proof-of-concept for AngloGold Ashanti that can successfully be implemented at any of the company’s
mining operations.
The system was designed by adhering to organizational requirements, and ensuring that it
is suitable to any mining environment. The designed Critical Control Management System was
subsequently implemented at Sunrise Dam, one of AngloGold Ashanti’s Australian mining operations.
To ensure that critical controls were also assessed at the operational level, a workplace
inspection process was modified to generate control data. All sources of data subsequently were fed
into a Business Intelligence environment enabling insight into critical control performance to all
company stakeholders. Doing so informs decision-making on safety priorities company-wide, based
on real-time data generated on the operational level.
Two case studies were performed to assess two of the most significant hazards at Sunrise
Dam. The studies showed that the effectiveness of reactive controls changes irrespective of their
compliance and performance. Furthermore, the influence of human factors within risk management
remains difficult to quantify. Finally, it demonstrates the potential for integration of incident data
into the Critical Control Management System, thus creating both leading and lagging indicators for
safety performance.
The conclusion of this study is that an effective and scalable Critical Control Management
System can be successfully implemented in a mining operation if the right conditions are generated.
The approach of integration in existing processes demonstrates that companies can achieve greater
control over fatality prevention without the need for an additional safety management system.
On this basis, it is recommended that other operations are supported in creating an environment
suitable for adaptation before Critical Control Management is implemented
