A New Safety Number
I have a new number: 6800
That is the number of people who were packed into the soccer field at Northam Platinum Mine for the safety day. Danny Gonzalves, the GM, called for a work stoppage so all employees could hear the “SAFETY FIRST at Northam” message.
I have never felt so vulnerable. Not only was the venue and setup everything that, as a speaker, I do not like – out in the open in the heat of the sun, no projector and screen, a poor sound system and only a hand-held mike – but the audience was restless, having just listened to two union reps stoking the fire with political rhetoric and blaming. You see, Alfred Nkosivumile Hanisi had died in a fall-of-ground incident two weeks before.
However, it went very well. Each employee received one of my customised and Northam-branded key rings, with the message “Look out for each other“. The people remembered me and chanted my signature call YEBO BABA and CAPICHE. We sang my safety song “I have a dream” of ZERO HARM.
It was an unforgettable experience … real gooseflesh stuff! I went home enriched and uplifted by the event, confident that my talk has made a lasting impact.
Be safe – the SIMPLY SMART way,
Jürgen
