Safety, health and security systems
Ensuring zero injuries and delivering strong safety, health and security performance through visible felt leadership is a top priority. We have a holistic health and safety programme with clear road maps and deliverables, supported by behavioural safety initiatives that drive leadership accountability and responsibility, as well as effective internal and external auditing.
Occupational health and safety
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
This year we focused on driving the implementation of a revised occupational health (OH) strategy and improving the reporting of OH key performance indicators (KPIs) and incapacity cases. We ran ongoing operational OH awareness campaigns and interventions with the support of external OH service providers, developed and standardised our occupational hygiene surveys, and conducted health risk assessments. We commenced a process of rationalising the health service providers across the group to deliver a consistent, cost-effective and standardised approach, and ensure that mobile healthcare service providers are available at relevant sites. Where necessary, we have contracted occupational health nurses, and we are upgrading medical clinics' infrastructure and equipment.
A group proposal for outsourcing occupational health is under way and will be launched for implementation in FY20. This year we focus on the following areas:
- Medical surveillance, feedback on abnormal health surveillance testing, identification and feedback on management of the top health risks, chronic diseases monitoring, primary healthcare consultations and the management of infectious diseases under primary healthcare
- Ongoing operational OH awareness campaigns and interventions with the support of external OH service providers
- Health promotion training for diet, personal hygiene, physical fitness, high blood pressure, infectious diseases and management of chronic conditions in a work environment
- Conducting site occupational hygiene surveys
- The facilities continue to report on OH initiatives, incapacity cases, medical surveillance and implementation of the fitness-to-work guideline.
EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING PROGRAMME – THRIVE
Our employee well-being support programme offers 24-hour telephonic counselling, and face-to-face professional counselling from psychologists, social workers, dieticians, biokineticists, and financial and legal advisers. Our onsite clinic services include occupational health support, and limited primary healthcare, free to all permanent and temporary employees onsite. Our clinic in Ashton (Western Cape, South Africa) is also open to the community. Contracted services include an HIV/Aids management programme and a free advisory and counselling service for all permanent and temporary employees. We also offer all South African employees membership of our in-house medical scheme for cost-effective comprehensive health cover.
SAFETY
This year, tragically, one employee was killed in a work-related incident.
In April 2019, Mr Aubrey Tornado Skosana, a driver at Albany Pretoria, died following a multi-collision vehicle accident while on a delivery. The Albany drivers have all subsequently been provided with refresher training on defensive driving, plus an online training programme for all Bakery drivers and van assistants on route-to-market alertness. The family of the employees have been given support and counselling. Our sincere condolences go out to the families of the deceased employee.
Regrettably, there was an increase in the group's lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) to 0,38, against the 2018 reported number of 0,27. We attribute this increase to the frequency and tighter reporting as part of our behavioural safety programme. This establishes a new base to drive our improvement behavioural safety initiatives. The findings inform the implementation of appropriate preventive measures and are used to improve the operational safety culture. Disciplinary action is applied where appropriate. We are in the process of rolling out behaviour-based safety to all our manufacturing facilities and ensuring safety visual management standardisation in all operations.
The LTIFR performance against set targets, for end of September 2019 is presented in the table below:
| FY16 Performance |
FY17 Performance |
FY18 Performance |
FY19 Performance |
||||||
| Tiger Brands Group | 0,36 | 0,30 | 0,27 | 0,38 |
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LOST-TIME INJURY (LTI) PERFORMANCE
The table below presents the lost-time injuries for the FY19 period.
| FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | ||||||
| Tiger Brands Group | 162 | 123 | 107 | 139 |
|---|
For all reported incidents, thorough root cause analysis is undertaken to ensure that preventive measures are put in place. Ongoing capability building and safety initiatives have been delivered in order to improve the operational safety culture and to also inspire our employees to take personal responsibility for their health and safety. Additional work is being undertaken to get employees to know their risks, make informed decisions and to work in a safe way.
Security
We have improved security at our facilities, informed by site security risk assessments using a methodical security management system to review and ensure the availability of appropriate physical security measures and access controls. Training awareness is provided, and appropriate incident management, reporting and investigations undertaken.