Safety on track at SA Chrome
On 28 February 2002, the site personnel installing the R700M turnkey
ferrochrome smelter for SA Chrome at the Boshoek site near Rustenburg,
RSA, celebrated the significant achievement of half-a-million manhours
without a lost-time injury.
The activities at the site have recently been ramping up rapidly,
and the 1 286 persons on site during the celebrations will increase
to a peak of about 1 500 during mid-March,” explained Jonathan
Such, Senior Project Manager. “The preservation of life and limb
is our prime objective, so it is always with a sense of relief and satisfaction
that we achieve these important safety milestones during large projects.
“Accordingly a comprehensive safety campaign led by the project’s
safety consultant is maintained,” said Such. “This involves
induction training for all new personnel on site, lectures on safety
and tool-box talks. To further promote ongoing vigilance, a safety competition
based on the comparison of regular safety audits is organised between
all of the main contractors.”
The site’s staff complement comprises mainly semiskilled and unskilled
labourers, with a few artisans. In terms of the project contract, the
use of local labour has been maximised, with a large proportion of the
personnel having being drawn from the local labour market. There are
about a dozen large contractors on site, providing services in respect
of civil, mechanical erection, piling, structural, electrical-instrumentation
and specialist-refractory installations.
“Aside from three days lost, due to inclement weather which resulted
in the temporary flooding of portions of the site, good advances have
been made on the construction and we are well positioned to put up a
record time for this type of project,” claimed Such. “From
the time the first steel was erected in early August 2001 to now, more
than 4 000 t of steel have been delivered to site and 3 200 t erected.
The civil works have required 710 piles to be placed, 61 000m³
of ground excavated, 125 000m³ of soil replaced,
60 000 m³ of concrete poured, utilising 18 000m²
of shuttering, and 1 200 t of reinforcing steel and 4 500 m of piping
have now been installed. The main furnace building has topped out at
60 m high and towers over the surrounding landscape.”
For further details kindly contact:
George Farmer, General Manager, Bateman Ferrous,
on +27-11-899-2531 or email ferroalloys@batemanengineering.com
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