The safe space: Beating the winter blues and enhancing chronic surveillance

Menar Group Health & Saftey Manager Ricardo van Rooi

As temperatures drop and winter sets in, it becomes more important to address the unique challenges that come with the season. During the colder months, mining sites like ours can experience several challenges, including icy surfaces, reduced visibility, harsh winds —all of which can affect health and safety. Our focus has been on creating awareness on cold stress, ensuring that employees wear the appropriate PPE for the weather, visibility is a priority, and we stay alert of any updates in case of inclement weather warnings.

Part of our winter campaign has been sharing helpful information about the health and safety concerns related to different heating methods used by people to keep warm. This includes the use of things like the popular imbawula or brazier, which can cause uncontrollable fires and potentially result in carbon monoxide poisoning. We want our employees and communities to stay warm while taking all the necessary precautions to avoid harm.

Winter does not just test our physical safety; it places extra stress on colleagues managing chronic conditions, making these conditions harder to manage overall. That is why our winter campaign goes hand in hand with enhanced chronic surveillance. We actively monitor at-risk employees to ensure timely care, medication, and support. By integrating PPE readiness, safe-heating practices, and focused chronic-condition management, we are taking a truly holistic approach to health & safety this season.