UNITRANS has once again clinched the coveted Most Outstanding Contractor Partner Safety Award at the Rio Tinto RockStars of the Year Safety Awards, marking its second consecutive win. This recognition further underscores Unitrans’ unwavering commitment to safety as a cornerstone for business growth.
Competing against approximately 18 000 other contractors across 35 countries on six continents, Unitrans attributes its success to a robust safety strategy integrated into a comprehensive supply chain solution. This approach ensures the safety of staff and clients while protecting products from theft at every stage.
“I’m exceptionally proud that we have won this award for the second consecutive year and that Rio Tinto’s safety maturity model has been implemented across the operation at Richards Bay Minerals,” says John Kettlewell, mining executive at Unitrans.
“This remarkable achievement reflects the power of partnership and Unitrans’ dedication to safety excellence. Their journey demonstrates the positive impact of focus, commitment and collaboration, proving that meaningful change is possible when a team unites to prioritise safety,” says Werner Duvenhage, managing director of Rio Tinto Iron Titanium – Africa Operations.
Meeting stringent safety standards
To meet Rio Tinto’s stringent safety standards, Unitrans was required to demonstrate to international auditors that it had fully integrated the miner’s safety culture and practices across all its operations. This included adopting a proactive approach to risk and safety management, such as conducting regular self-assessments.
Additionally, Unitrans must provide ongoing progress reports to the management team at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), ensuring transparency and continuous alignment with safety expectations.
Unitrans also had to prove it had a strong focus on onboarding and supporting new employees to adapt quickly to RBM’s safety processes. It stood out through its superior safety technologies such as collision avoidance and driver-fatigue alert systems.
In addition, the company demonstrated a commitment to employee feedback, ensuring a workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and continuously improving.
The pillars of safety
Unitrans’ long-standing partnership with Rio Tinto at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) is rooted in the miner’s four-pillar safety approach: Care, Courage, Curiosity, and Collaboration. Their longstanding partnership with Rio Tinto at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) is rooted in the miner’s four-pillar safety approach: Care, Courage, Curiosity, and Collaboration.
“We start each day with the care principle through holding two meetings at which employee wellbeing and the previous day’s experiences are discussed. In these meetings, we prioritise everyone’s physical and emotional well-being. Through the structure of our meetings, we build respect and trust of colleagues, while also emphasising environmental sustainability,” explains Sandile Shange, Unitrans’ contract manager.
Care shows itself in a culture of being our ‘Brother’s keeper,’ while courage empowers everyone to speak up about potential hazards, like spotting a new pothole, so that risks can be mitigated.
Curiosity flourishes in learning and improvement sessions where everyone learns from one another, and Collaboration ensures Unitrans’ teams plan and execute together to meet performance targets.
Harnessing AI for safety and growth
As part of Unitrans’ commitment to RBM, it integrated the latest in trusted artificial intelligence solutions to analyse data related to various aspects of safety, such as driver fatigue.
A complete safety strategy also boosts RBM and all Unitrans’ other clients’ growth through more cost-effective and streamlined processes, enabling Unitrans’ customers to improve their profitability through better productivity.
“At the heart of our mission is empowering businesses with supply chain solutions rooted in uncompromising safety. This isn’t just about risk mitigation; it’s a strategic growth accelerator,” says Edwin Hewitt, CEO.
