SAFETY AND ME AT SAPPI VULINDLELA

Safety is an integral part of the success of any project and the Murray & Roberts Power & Energy project team at the Sappi Vulindlela project introduced the ‘Safety and Me’ programme to improve the safety culture on site.

Says Patrick Africa, HSE Manager: “Safety is the responsibility of everyone on site – not only your own safety, but the safety of others who are affected by your actions.” The ‘Safety and Me’ initiative encourages employees to look at and question themselves for safety responsibility first, before commencing with daily tasks. Safety begins with our own actions.

The programme comprises the following safety pillars:
• Safety is the responsibility of everyone
• Look out for the safety and wellbeing of your colleagues
• Make sure your actions are safe – even when there is no supervisor present
• Stop and think about the task at hand before proceeding
• Safety means everyone goes home – in the same condition they arrived in

‘Safety and Me’ has achieved in excess of 900 000 lost time injuryfree (LTI-free) work hours and is safely approaching one million LTI-free work hours.

To date, approximately 1 678 tonnes of structural steel has been erected and 210 tonnes of ducting has been locally fabricated and installed. A total of 10 766 welds have been completed on high pressure piping with only 504 remaining before a hydrostatic test can be achieved. The pressure parts scope has been delivered by a combination of skilled resources from Croatia, Thailand and South Africa. The majority of these works have been executed in extremely congested areas with multiple contractors working in the same area. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the balance of the project is being executed by locally trained South African artisans. Murray & Roberts Power & Energy has invested in the local community by training and upskilling these artisans, who now have valuable skills and work experience.

The Murray & Roberts Power & Energy site team has been awarded the Best Safety Performing Contractor by the client for their contribution to a Zero Harm project.