Speaking SafeWork with Jacob

Our ambition in the workplace is to become a leader in safety and create a workplace free from fatalities and injuries. To achieve this, we must identify and manage health and safety hazards in our workplace. To help realize this goal, we launched SafeWork to provide a common global foundation to build our culture of safety worldwide.

The Speaking SafeWork series aims to keep the SafeWork conversation going and keep safety top of mind for all employees and contractors. In this interview, we connect with Jacob, Materials Engineer-in-Training at XPS | Industry Relevant Solutions.

To me, SafeWork is an identity that we carry at Glencore. It represents our effort and a devotion to never accept anything less than the highest safety standards. It means ensuring that we all return home to our families at the end of each day in the same condition we arrived at work.

I believe the reduction in reportable injuries in 2024 directly reflects the impact of our safety standards, processes, and FHPs. Most of the time cutting corners involves a risk, whether to a worker or equipment. It’s a refreshing culture at Glencore to know that this is not accepted.

I’ve appreciated the universal understanding that before we begin a task, we should meet to analyze the risks in alignment with the FHPs and re-group if a significant change in the work path has occurred. These exercises can identify unforeseen hazards because every person brings different experiences and perspectives to the table.

The FHP approach has had a direct impact on my work. A key part of my role involves performing confined space assessments in complex and hazardous equipment across Glencore sites worldwide. The FHPs are consistently applied and understood at all sites, supporting me in conducting thorough risk analyses before inspections, repairs, or returning assets to operation. Without identifying and considering the FHPs in pre-task tools or risk reviews, it’s very likely that incidents could be overlooked in the field.

Maintaining and improving our safety standards is an ongoing effort. I’m grateful to work closely with many of our Canadian sites, as this allows me to share safety-related experiences from different locations within the company. Often, we face similar challenges across sites, and sharing lessons learned and solutions is a valuable way to continuously enhance safety performance.

My behaviour has changed without question. My thought process before performing tasks – even at home – has become more safety-conscious. When tackling new home renovation projects, I now make it a habit to step back, identify potential risks, and ensure I have the necessary personal protective equipment before starting. This mindset shift has been a positive and lasting outcome of my experience at XPS.