The new Chief Executive Officer of Anglo Platinum has pledged to improve the firm's safety record.

Neville Nicolau, who is due to take charge of the company on June 1st, announced that safety would be his priority when he was appointed this week.

Speaking to Mining Weekly Online, he said mining came with a big responsibility and safety must be a key priority.

"If we don't get our safety right, then you must expect society to take away our licence to operate, and then we would be responsible for closing mines and destroying work," he explained.

Mr Nicolau has already played a role in improving safety in the mines of AngloGold Ashanti and he revealed some of the processes that he hoped would improve Anglo Platinum's safety record.

"I will try get unions, the Department of Minerals and Energy, and the Angloplat employees together to address the problem where appropriate for each of them," he said.

He said he would look at the attitude towards safety within the mining company and the technical issues that could reduce risk for the company's workers.

"If you cover those two broad strategies, safety will improve, and I think that zero ultimately is possible," he said.



Source:

New Angloplat CEO hopes to fix miner's safety reputation, 13/05/08
http://www.miningweekly.com/article.php?a_id=133171