De Beers Group’s Venetia mine has reached a landmark achievement of 13 million fatality-free shifts, demonstrating world-class safety performance.
The accomplishment reflects the unwavering commitment of employees, contractors and leadership to creating and sustaining a safe and caring work environment. It places Venetia mine among a small group of mining operations in Southern Africa that have reached this level of sustained safety performance.
Ntokozo Ngema, the mine’s Senior General Manager said: “Achieving 13 million fatality-free shifts is a testament to the unwavering commitment of every person on our mine. It reflects not just a milestone, but a culture of care, accountability and continuous improvement. At Venetia mine, we believe that zero harm is possible, and this achievement brings us closer to making that belief a reality. I’m incredibly proud of our teams for living our values every day, and setting a benchmark for what safe, responsible mining looks like. While this is an industry-leading performance, we will continue to demand more of ourselves to ensure we remain safe and that every diamond we produce represents our care for, and commitment to, one another”.
Venetia mine has implemented a range of proactive safety initiatives over the years, with a focus on embedding a culture of shared responsibility and vigilance. One such initiative is the Safe Sentry programme, where team members nominate a sentry for each shift to observe, record and communicate safety behaviours and potential hazards in real time.
In recognition of its commitment to safety excellence, the mine received two awards at the Southern Africa Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) MineSafe Industry Awards held in November 2024.
