Johan Meyer - Executive Head Projects and Technology at Exxaro and Chair of the Exxaro Covid-19 Crisis Management Team

The mining sector has been exposed to numerous crises in various forms. From social unrest to earthquakes and disease outbreaks, the possibilities are endless. It is, therefore, important for mining companies to be disciplined when it comes to managing a crisis - as failure to properly execute an appropriate strategy can be dangerous and puts workers’ lives at risk.

As one of the first sectors to be given the green light to operate at 50% capacity during our most recent crisis, the spotlight was on the mining industry to see how we managed to operate and mitigate the effects of the virus. By using our government's guidelines, Exxaro was able to make the necessary changes to adapt and evolve.

Exxaro’s response to government guidelines

South Africa is currently in a state of national disaster, and our government has published guidelines to manage this unique occurrence. Exxaro has implemented precautionary measures based on these guidelines to ensure the health and safety of their staff, clients, stakeholders and service providers.

The first step was to roll out a crisis management plan and business continuity plan across the business. As the number of cases continues to increase, Exxaro is moving on to a more advanced stage of our crisis control plan. This includes plans for avoiding, reducing and delaying the onset of COVID-19 infections. To achieve this, the risks associated with the virus will need to be managed as and when they arise.

The simplest and most effective way to reduce the risk of the virus’ transmission is to practice social distancing while following the protocols put in place by the business. An example of enabling a collaborative work environment while adhering to social distancing is the implementation of Skype and Microsoft Teams meetings where possible.

Exxaro is also following protocols and interventions as guided by the World Health Organisation, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Minerals Council South Africa and other regulatory bodies. This includes providing PPE to all employees, establishing good hygiene practices, providing health facilities, making flu vaccines available, conducting temperature screenings, updating business processes, establishing a contact tracing system, creating an awareness campaign and putting together an Employee Assistance Programme.

Keeping staff healthy, safe and engaged during this time

The safety of mining staff has always been a top priority, especially at Exxaro. We have seen companies react swiftly to the pandemic to keep workers safe and minimise the risk of exposure. Some precautionary measures that we’ve taken include roster changes, pre-site screenings and incentives for temporarily relocating to accommodation that is closer to the mine. Our Employee Wellness Programme offers one-on-one professional and anonymous counselling services.

In addition to this, all of our facilities have constant monitoring and screening procedures in place to mitigate the risk of a virus outbreak within the business. We have also hosted a mental health awareness webinar to address the strain that each individual has had to cope with as a result of the lockdown and COVID-19.

While keeping everyone safe and healthy is important, we also need to find ways to keep staff productive and engaged. This requires a human-centric approach to navigating this journey. Understanding how this impacts people, as well as their priorities, is a key factor to consider when it comes to planning for and monitoring the workforce. Regular communications are critical in keeping staff connected, engaged and informed.

Exxaro’s CEO constantly communicates with employees via email to keep them up to date on the latest COVID-19 developments and the impact that they will have on the business. A live digital dashboard has been set up to provide staff and stakeholders with the latest COVID-19 statistics and figures.

We’ve also launched a de-stigmatisation campaign to debunk the myths and alleviate fears associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We have done this to reduce the social stigma attached to having the virus and share accurate information on what exactly the virus is and how it is impacting the world.

A reimagined workforce

As markets begin to normalise, a recovery plan will need to be prepared to determine workforce requirements as well as a development strategy to support this. We can expect to see mines emerge from this crisis better equipped to deal with the ever-increasing complexities of the industry and a volatile market.

Any recovery plans must take into account workforce requirements, how quickly the workforce and working conditions can be re-established and what is necessary for developing a strategy to implement these.

A staggered return to work is expected and will need to be properly managed to be in line with the different stages of lockdown as and when they change. Some staff may continue working remotely if their job description allows them to do so. Although workforce capacity may increase, social distancing remains an important part of keeping everyone safe. To keep office- or workspace-bound staff safe, health and safety protocols will still need to be in place and properly managed.

Accelerated digital migration will redesign and enhance the future of work in a post-pandemic world. We have already seen companies implementing new and innovative technologies to allow remote working, which will provide value to the business moving forward.

Exxaro is committed to ensuring the safety of our employees, stakeholders, customers and anyone that comes into contact with our business both during this pandemic as well as in a post-pandemic world. Everything done to manage this crisis will ultimately reshape the future of the mining industry. Although no one wishes for a crisis, the skills developed as a result of this will, no doubt, prove to be invaluable.