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OPERATOR FATIGUE

AND DISTRACTION:

EFFECTIVELY MANAGING A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE

B2Gold has a vision to be a responsible mining company that goes beyond industry standards in every
aspect of its operations. With the welfare of people at the heart of this vision, many of the company’s
initiatives focus on safety.

DRIVER

SAFETY

SYSTEM

“As a responsible miner, we believe in preventing MANAGING THE RISK OF FATIGUE
harm and protecting the health and safety of our work-
ers, contractors and the communities in which we B2Gold has identified fatigue, particularly for the
operate,” the company said in its 2019 Responsible company’s haul truck fleet drivers, as one of the most
Mining Report. significant safety risks at all operations and has put
An international gold producer headquartered in Van- programs in place over the last decade that are mak-
couver, Canada, B2Gold is committed to making sig- ing a positive impact on the issue.
nificant investments in safety solutions and systems
throughout its mining operations, which includes three Its Masbate mine in the Philippines has had a defined
gold mines and numerous exploration and develop- Fatigue Monitoring program in place for nearly a de-
ment projects in various countries. cade and in early 2019, the company implemented a
The company’s safety investments are paying divi- similar program at the Otjikoto mine in Namibia. In the
dends. In 2019, B2Gold maintained a zero-fatality second half of 2019, the program was expanded to a
workplace by ensuring every one of its 4,217 employ- third operation: the Fekola mine in Mali.
ees, contractors and consultants went home safely
every day — its fourth consecutive year with this The purpose of the programs is two-fold: managing
successful safety outcome. fatigue events and risks to better ensure the safety
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to be done. of workers and minimizing fatigue and distraction in
its operations to ensure a high level of operating ef-
ficiency.
“WE CONTINUALLY FOCUS ON
In assessing symptoms, causes and approaches to
IDENTIFYING, UNDERSTANDING address fatigue issues, B2Gold takes a holistic ap-
proach that focuses on:
AND CONTROLLING THE • Fatigue awareness counseling for operators
• Supervisor training to manage fatigue
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH • Improved fatigue reporting procedures
HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE,” • An awareness campaign for worker families to
learn about the risks associated with fatigue and to
THE COMPANY SAID. encourage support at home

4 Cat Magazine

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