As of 2009, Shaft Sinkers has the notable distinction of achieving one million fatality free shifts, for the fifth time. And on 13 August 2009 the Company recorded its first TWO (2) million fatality free shifts!

Shaft Sinkers record of fatality free shifts is testament to its unqualified commitment to safety.

Shaft Sinkers was the first shaft sinking and mining contracting company in South Africa to have received both the Chamber of Mine's (COM) Five Star Honour Safety Award and the International Standards Organisation's ISO 9002 and 9001 certifications.

The SA Chamber of Mines Mine Safety Management System (MSMS) was adopted at Shaft Sinkers in 1987 and resulted in the company achieving its first star from the COM. By 1990 the group had won five additional stars for safety. Since that time the company has won the Five Star Honour award on eleven occasions - ten of them consecutively.

The company's SHEQT department was established in 1992 at its training facility in Welkom, South Africa and is accredited by the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) as an Education and Training Institution. Courses are offered covering the full mining spectrum - from the rock face to management. Moreover, authentic sinking stage and shaft bottom operations are simulated.

The objectives behind this move were clearly identified by Shaft Sinkers and included:

• The health and safety of its people as the company's highest priority.
• Maintaining a clean, safe and healthy environment.
• Preventing accidents, occupational illness and injury.
• Training people and monitoring performance as a means of maintaining production, safety, health, environmental and quality standards.
• Monitoring the safety of employees and the environment by implementing, maintaining and observing the good practice recommendations of OHSAS 18001, the ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001.
• Continuous safety assessment and improvement where necessary.
• Performing ongoing compliance audits and risk assessments.
• Increasing safety awareness by performing on-the-job-coaching and physical condition inspections.

Additionally, Shaft Sinkers has implemented numerous safety initiatives including:

• Behavioural-Based Safety (BBS).
• Road to Zero Harm.
• Heat Tolerance System (HTS).