Speaking SafeWork with Bleir

Glencore's first priority in the workplace is to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees. To achieve this, we must identify and manage Health and Safety hazards in our workplace. In order 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 Bleir, Ground Control Technologist at Fraser Mine, part of our Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (INO).

Bleir: For me, SafeWork is my commitment to safety. Surface and underground work present different hazards with different controls to work and promote safe behaviour. I also believe the SafeWork approach that we encourage at Sudbury INO is something I bring home with me and for my family.

Bleir: When we review the FHPs, it familiarizes myself as well as our department with various hazards that can exist across the Business Unit. Our Engineering and Geology Group at Fraser Mine may not experience some of these hazards, but being aware of them is very beneficial.

Bleir: I have to choose the Pre-Task Assessment Card and its direct and daily review of the Fatal Hazard Protocols. The previous “five-point card” was great for identifying hazards in the workplace but the Pre-Task Assessment Card has brought that workplace awareness to the next level of a zero harm work environment. Workers are encouraged to review it for all potential Fatal Hazards and implement any controls to reduce or eliminate any hazard that might exist. It also, in my opinion, positively sets your mind for the workday.

Bleir: One concern that is always a challenge is communication. It is a challenge to ensure all relevant pieces of information are passed onto others that could benefit from that knowledge to make their day safer or more productive.

I feel I contribute to improving communication by hosting our groups “Morning Huddle.” There, every person in our department gets together to review incidents, share information, and make others aware of hazards, delays, obstructions and to discuss, as a group, any controls we can implement for any risk in our daily tasks.

Bleir: Absolutely! When speaking to students, contractors, visitors, or anyone new to the site, I always begin the conversation with “Glencore has zero appetite for unmanageable risk” and I can say that with utter confidence. At the end of that tour underground, that person agrees with that statement as well.