Employees
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Employee Health & Safety
Approach
We cultivate a culture of hard work and personal discipline, being accountable for one’s actions and mindful of the needs and safety of others.
Our workforce has embraced our safety policies and procedures, which have evolved as the focus of operations has changed from exploration, bulk sampling and vertical pit mining, to the current open pit mining operations.
To maintain a productive workforce, it is important that all our employees, especially those operating at the rock face, are fit and healthy and are provided with the knowledge and equipment to operate safely. To achieve this, the company instituted training programmes and a feeding scheme in 2003, for all employees. Before a shift begins, all staff are provided with a hearty meal that will sustain them over their 8 hours of work. Being well nourished, able to concentrate on the job at hand, remain alert to risks and focused on preventing injuries, to themselves and fellow workers, the Koidu workforce has developed an impressive safety record.
Health & Safety Policy
Koidu Limited is committed to providing a work environment that is conducive to the safety and health of its employees in all its operations. The Company is committed to the achievement of a zero harm working environment. The Company’s Executive, management and all supervisors are accountable and responsible for creating and maintaining a culture of safety and health, ensuring that this policy, and all Company procedures and standards are properly implemented and managed in every aspect of the operations. The Company recognizes that every worker has the right to life and well-being and that everyone has a right and obligation to stop and correct unsafe acts and conditions.
Accordingly, Koidu Limited will:
- Comply with all applicable host country laws, regulations and directives.
- Implement appropriate industry best practices.
- Incorporate the International Finance Corporation Mining and Environmental Health and Safety General Guidelines in its policies and actions.
- Ensure that Koidu Limited’ employees and contractors understand, accept and comply with the Safety and Health Policy, protocols, procedures and standards.
- Ensure that all employees and contractors have the necessary training and equipment to work in a safe manner and in a healthy environment.
- Institute and maintain a management system for the identification and control of HIV, TB, malaria and typhoid within the workforce.
- Regularly review and audit safety and health systems, procedures and performance.
- Implement improvements to the safety and health system as they are identified.
Career Development
Above all else, Koidu Limited believe it is human resource that holds the key to the success of a mining company. Beyond merely acknowledging this, Koidu Limited has bought wholesale into this philosophy and has sought to make it the foundation of our strategic policy.
Since the inception of operations in 2003, we have made the development of our human resources, at every level, a top priority. Today, some of our people at middle level management are Sierra Leoneans who were originally recruited as assistants, labourers or security guards, demonstrating the career progression opportunities within Koidu Limited and our willingness to invest in the training and development of our employees.
Training is not only important for the personal development of our human resources, but also to ensure that international best practices are adhered to and that safety is continually front and foremost in the minds of all our employees.
Statistics
Company Growth
The growth of our Company is reflected in our workforce: not only in the increased numbers, but also in the personal growth of our employees. With the scarcity of qualified and skilled mining and technical resources in Sierra Leone, Koidu Limited has made huge investments into the training and development of our people.
Working Together
Although the majority of out employees currently come from the Kono District, which is host to our Koidu Kimberlite Project, we also recruit from all other Districts in the country to fill the skills gaps that exist. Amongst our employees, we have representatives from each of the Districts in Sierra Leone.
The Koidu Limited Family
We often talk about the Koidu Limited family, because many of our employees have been with us since the formation of the Company in 2003 and have remained loyal through some very challenging times. An analysis of our employment statistics revealed that 69% of our employees have been with the Company for 4 years or more, and 68% have been with the Company for over 6 years
Women at Work
Empowerment of women is one of our core objectives, and despite the fact that mining is an industry that is usually dominated by men, Koidu Limited is constantly searching for opportunities to bring women into our Company. Woman play a valuable role within Koidu Limited in various capacities and, as at February 2021, as many as twenty women are employed within the Company.
Employment for the Youth
A high proportion of our workforce falls into the age group between 18 and 30, which are referred to as “Youths” in Sierra Leone