Safex Newsletter No.80 May 2024

Welcome to the 80th SAFEX Newsletter. A third of the year has already sped past and SAFEX has been very busy serving the industry.

  • GPG 12 has been completed and posted on our website : English version - Spanish version
  • Webinar 6 – Management of Change – was successfully hosted by EPC Groupe and an article by Thierry Rousse explains the outcome of the Webinar in this Newsletter.
  • A new eLearning Module in Conjunction with ENAEX in Chile, ‘Why we need to do Periodic Hazard Studies on existing plants’ has been developed and now been launched on the SAFEX website.
  • The date and place for the SAFEX Congress XXI was pinned down: Please note this important event, hosted by ORICA, in your calendar.
  • A new GPG on Management of Change is under preparation. The development of an ESP eLearning Module is well advanced, which will also result in the update of the current ESP GPG on the Website. Work has also been initiated on an Explosives Security GPG.

The global explosives industry plays a crucial role in various sectors, including mining, construction, and military operations. However, working with explosives also carries significant risks, which is why safety measures are of utmost importance. SAFEX International is a leading organization dedicated to promoting safety within the explosives industry. With our expertise and resources, we provide training programs, guidelines, and support to ensure that companies and individuals adhere to best practices when handling explosives. By partnering with SAFEX International, businesses can enhance their safety protocols and minimize the risk of accidents or mishaps. So, whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, SAFEX International is there to assist you in maintaining a safe work environment while maximizing efficiency and productivity.

I hope with this Newsletter that SAFEX manages to assist you to improve your safety offering to our industry !

Safety message from Joakim Westerlund, CEO of the Forcit Group

Ensuring a safe work environment and prioritizing safety, not only of our employees, but the environment in which we operate isn't just a responsibility; it's a commitment that must start from each and every person in a leadership role in our industry. A personal commitment to safety sets the tone for the entire organization. When leaders prioritize safety, they not only protect their employees but also cultivate a culture of accountability and trust. It's not just about policies and procedures; it's about a genuine dedication to keeping everyone safe. I believe that safety can only genuinely be first priority if it has a true personal meaning.

For me safety painfully clear became a personal priority early in my career, years before joining the explosives industry, after having to undergo the worst process any manager can deal with, investigating an accident with fatal outcome. Having to go through, in detail, the chain of event leading up to a young fathers dead is something that did forever change my view of what safety really means. Safety is not about numbers, it is about people, their health, and their lives. If you read this note I am sure you find safety important, but is safety truly a personal commitment of yours and does safety have a deeper personal meaning to you than reaching the annual LTIF, TRIF or other safety related KPI?

At FORCIT safety is always priority zero, there is no other topic that can ever compete. Safety is a constant priority not only in board meetings, leadership team meetings, safety drills or safety committees, but more importantly out on the field, in our development initiatives and in the planning and the execution of expansion projects. We have had a great journey of reducing accidents, as the industry as a whole, but after over 130 years of working with substances that are unforgiving, we have also accumulated a healthy level of paranoia into our culture; each day without accidents have to be earned regardless of how well we did the last quarter. True safety leadership isn't measured by the absence of incidents, but by the presence of a culture where every person's wellbeing is regarded as paramount by their co-workers, managers, and team members, and where nothing is so urgent or important that it would permit us to make shortcuts in safety procedures.

I am very grateful of the work SAFEX is doing for the good of our industry and society. Sharing learnings, best practices and also mistakes between peers makes us stronger and safer as an industry.

I wish all a safe spring and want to remind all readers that each day without accidents need to be earned through our actions and behaviors, wherever in the world or in the organizational rank we are!

Joakim Westerlund

Chief Executive Officer

Forcit Group