volume 8, issue 01 crush!crush! - la...
TRANSCRIPT
NEW YEAR - RENEWED
SAFETY COMMITMENT
Volume 8, Issue 01
January 2012
CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!
LA Crushers has attained 694,321 Lost-Time Injury-Free hours to 15 December 2011. There is not far to go
before reaching our next target of 1 million LTI-free hours, however to reach it will require the complete
commitment of all employees. Each and every employee is responsible both for their own safety and for
the safety of everyone working around them. Complacency is the enemy of safety and we must all seek
new and innovative methods to keep safety awareness high. The company’s personal zero harm safety
pledge, which applies to all employees, takes the following form:
As an LAC employee I firmly believe that:
♦ People come to work with the intention of returning home safely;
♦ Safety is not a given. Commitment, good leadership and continual
focus on managing the risks is essential;
♦ Production can never be put before the safety of people;
♦ We have good systems and procedures, however we the people of
LA Crushers are the difference between good and great.
It is required that:
♦ You do not take short cuts for the sake of production;
♦ You carefully consider the risks before giving any instruction or performing any task;
♦ You freely communicate and take action on any matter that may affect the safety of any person;
♦ You refuse to perform any task in which you feel the risk has not been properly managed;
♦ You use the necessary resources and equipment to perform your tasks safely.
Over the next year you will see managers and supervisors:
♦ Leading by example, adhering to rules and walking the talk;
♦ Promoting safety awareness by talking, observing and coaching the employees with whom they engage;
♦ Being visible in the field, notably demonstrating the importance of employees stopping to correct
substandard conditions and behaviour;
♦ Ensuring that meetings and inspections serve a specific purpose with respect to safety;
♦ Creating an atmosphere that is
conducive
to open-
ness, trust
and mutual
respect.
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MANAGING DIRECTOR’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE All employees of LA Crushers,
I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to those who worked over the festive season. I was impressed by the dedica-tion and commitment shown and am delighted to report a marked reduction in absenteeism and disciplinary issues in comparison to previous festive seasons. Tonnages were consistent at Magnetite, Mining and Foskor Materials Handling. Well done to all.
The start of a New Year is always a time for reflection and resolution; a time to consider what has gone before and to plan for that which is to come. 2011 was an interesting year. Contract opportunities abounded but the company failed to capitalise fully on the potential to haul additional tons. This was due to a combination of factors, most notably machine availability. However, losses were also attributable to poor timekeeping, absenteeism and a lack of care of machines. Yet I am pleased to note that in later
months there was an appreciable increase in motivation and productivity, resulting in a well-earned bonus paid in November 2011.
There were a number of exciting developments for the company in 2011, but none more so than the change in shareholding. LAC was delighted to welcome the empower-ment company Pretamix (Pty) Ltd as a 46% shareholder in the company. This was the culmination of LA Crushers’ long-held wish that the community should have a stake in the company, which was achieved by the 51% stake in Pretamix held by the Sealeng Community Trust. The transaction was funded by the National Empowerment Fund and we look forward to a visit by the NEF to provide further details of this venture to all employees.
Turning our attention to 2012, the company aims to fulfil its mission and continue to provide world class levels of safety, productivity, profitability and customer service in all aspects of its operations. With increased emphasis on timekeeping, renewed focus on daily machine care, the arrival of new machines, the removal of unwarranted absenteeism and an increase in pure pride in our work the bonus targets are achievable, and routinely so. I assure you that nothing would give me more pleasure than to sign off bonuses each and every
month. To achieve this however will involve superior teamwork and renewed enthusiasm for giving our best during each moment of every shift, whilst never forgetting that no production target is more important than the safety of all employees. So let’s get back to basics and back to work. The opportunities for sustained success are tangible and I have complete faith in my team’s ability to excel at all that they do. That is the spirit of LA Crushers and I thank you for being a part of it.
I wish you all a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
LA Smith
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CONTRACT NEWS: FOSKOR GA-SELATI CUT
OFF TRENCHES PROJECT UNDERWAY
LAC has started work on preparation of the cut-off trenches for
the Ga-Selati River rehabilitation project at Foskor. The first
phase is underway and will involve excavation of six cut off
trenches of varying sizes, from 150 to 300 metres long, some of
which will need to be drilled and blasted. A number of test holes
are dug before work on each trench commences, in order to
establish the correct positioning of the trench’s length and depth
to ensure that the maximum quantity of seepage water will be
captured with the minimum disruption to trees and the
surrounding environment. The first trench has been blasted and
dug and main contractors Ilanga Construction will now proceed
with installing the filter mediums and constructing the sumps.
LAC has completed excavating the second trench as far as possi-
ble and it will now be
blasted to reach the opti-
mum depth. The project
will involve preparing a
total of 24 trenches spread
around the Foskor tailings
dam complex, and is
divided into four phases
which will take place over
the next four years.
WELCOME! To the following
new employees
who have joined
LAC in the past
two months:
KR Pilusa CT Rabothata
MV Sekgoka MM Malatji
WM Malesa RC Manthata
TM Malesa S Nondlozi
MD Marula BJ Mgiba
AL Sekgobela KE Ramothwala
R Nyathi P Nkonwana
TB Machethe S Malatji
D Hlangwana NA Mashatola
AR Ngobeni JF Mashego
MM Pilusa S Zwane
W Mavheneka KM Ramoshaba
DM Malungane MR Machechele
MW Shai SC Valoyi
CE Malatji MT Matlala
MF Moloto HT Shirinda
DT Maake TE Chuene
TR Thamahanyane
We look forward to
working with you!
LA Smith
TIMELY SUBMISSION OF LEAVE APPLICATION FORMS
Remember: Company rules demand that leave appli-
cation forms must be submitted at least two weeks
before the planned date of leave. It is not possible to
plan operational logistics at short notice, and this often
leads to the disappointment of having late applications
for leave refused. In addition, any leave requested
within two weeks of the date will be counted as emergency /
unplanned leave which affects any bonus payment that may be due
that month. It is therefore in every employee’s own interest to
pre-plan all requests for leave unless a genuine emergency occurs.
“Man who say
it cannot be
done should
not interrupt
man doing it”
Chinese Proverb
STAY HYDRATED! The hot weather is upon us
again and it cannot be stressed enough how important
it is to drink plenty of water. Never miss an opportu-
nity to take in water and help your body to off-set the
effects of the severe Phalaborwa heat. There doesn’t
seem to be a hard and fast rule about how much water
should be drunk, but as a guide, on exceptionally hot
days the body requires some 600ml of water per hour.
Even mild dehydration drains energy and affects
concentration, so keep that water coming!
CONGRATULATIONS!
To Solomon Baloyi and
Given Rapatsa, on the
recent birth of their
children. Enjoy every
moment with your precious gifts!
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IN SYMPATHY:
We are sad to report the
passing of two LA
Crushers’ employees -
Mr Everhardus Knox and Mr Luckson
Mathebula. Our sympathies are with
their families, friends and former
colleagues at this time.
On behalf of all at LAC, we would like
to extend the company’s condolences
to the following employees who have
lost family members:
♦ Linda van Niekerk and Samuel
Sepatake, whose mothers both
passed away;
♦ Roy Mzimba and Richard Mabaso,
who both had a sister pass away;
♦ Richard Ngobeni, whose brother
passed away;
♦ Nodia Tshelane, whose child
passed away; and
♦ Nelson Ubisi, whose son passed
away.
Our thoughts are with you all.
HIV/AIDS AWARENESS AND TESTING Counselling and voluntary test-
ing sessions are held regularly. Please contact Tebogo Ratopola at
HR if you would like to participate in one of these sessions. Please
consider getting tested - you know it’s the right thing to do!
SO IT’S A NEW YEAR - WHY ALL THE FUSS?
For a start, the New Year has not always begun on January 1,
and it begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day
solar calendar. 01 January only became the beginning of the
New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar
that would more accurately reflect the seasons.
The Romans named the first month of the
year after Janus, the god of beginnings and
the guardian of doors and entrances. He was
always depicted with two faces, one on the
front of his head and one on the back. Thus
he could look backward and forward at the
same time. At midnight on December 31, the
Romans imagined Janus looking back at the
old year and forward to the new one. New
Year was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years
ago, with a celebration that lasted eleven days.
Chinese New Year: Some cultures, such
as the Chinese, have lunar calendars
instead. A year in a lunar calendar is less
than 365 days because the months are
based on the phases of the moon. Chinese
New Year begins at the time of the first full
moon (over the Far East) after the sun en-
ters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.
Years are marked in a twelve-year cycle, each named after an
animal, such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse,
Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People
born in a particular year are believed to share
some personality traits of that particular animal.
Resolutions: It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to
make New Year's resolutions, and people all over the world have
been breaking them ever since. The early Christians believed the
first day of the new year should be spent reflecting on past mis-
takes and resolving to improve oneself in the new year. A New
Year’s resolution should be made by midnight
on 31 December and still be in force the
following New Year’s eve. Yeah, right.
Fireworks: Noisemaking and fireworks on New
Year's eve is believed to have originated in an-
cient times, when noise and fire were thought
to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck. The
Chinese are credited with inventing fireworks
and many countries use them to spectacular
effect in their New Year's celebrations.
NEW YEAR SAYINGS
“Resolution: To tolerate fools more
gladly, provided this does not encour-
age them to take up more of my time”
James AgateJames AgateJames AgateJames Agate
“New Year's Day… now is the
accepted time to make your regular
annual good resolutions. Next week
you can begin paving hell with them
as usual.” Mark TwainMark TwainMark TwainMark Twain
“Good resolutions are
simply cheques that
men draw on a bank
where they have no
account”. Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Wilde