ICMM has released a report that benchmarks the 2023 safety performance of its members. Tragically, 36 people from company members lost their lives last year – an increase from 33 in 2022.
“There is no higher priority for ICMM members than keeping people safe and healthy at work, and this report is a stark reminder of the work ahead of us in that regard,” said President and CEO Rohitesh Dhawan.
“The concerning increase in fatalities in 2023 underscores that there is absolutely no room for complacency. With this in mind, we are committed to fostering stronger safety cultures across our workforces that cascade to every corner and facet of operations.”
“Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members In 2023” analyses fatalities from ICMM company members based on the cause (or hazard) and provides safety performance metrics by county and company. In 2023, 10 of these fatalities were related to mobile equipment and transportation, and five were caused by structural failures.
ICMM said member operations in South Africa had the highest number of fatalities (13), accounting for 36% of the total fatalities across ICMM members. Twelve out of 25 members reported zero fatalities.
The organization has also updated its “Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement” after extensive engagement with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, human rights and legal experts, and input from members.
“The updated Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement brings significantly more rigor to the expectations of ICMM member companies in how we, the mining industry, engage, understand and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples,” said Tom Palmer, CEO of Newmont, and chair of the Social Performance Council Advisory Group, ICMM. “These commitments serve as the foundations of lasting relationships built on transparency, trust and mutual benefit.”
ICMM’s position statement was first published in 2008 and updated in 2013. This latest update, ICMM said, reflects lessons learned as well as strengthened ambitions and practices across the industry in the last decade, developments in international policy, and evolving expectations of rightsholders and stakeholders.