Covid-19

About WeCare

WeCare is Anglo American’s global response programme to support the lives and livelihoods of our workforce and host communities through the health, social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our mines and host communities, which are also often home to much of our workforce, operate as an ecosystem, and both must be healthy to prosper.

Across our operational footprint and in those communities that are local to our operations in South Africa, our WeCare programme provides information and extensive practical support across four pillars of physical health, mental health, living with dignity, and community response.

Physical Health – education and behavioural change to support personal health and hygiene; health screening and testing; PPE and medical equipment and facilities.

Mental Health – employee support programmes to assist with mental health management, including employee App and online events and digital materials.

Living with Dignity – direct employee and community support to combat gender-based and domestic violence; work with health authorities to identify abuse cases and referrals to support mechanisms.

Community Response – wide-ranging livelihoods programme to support communities through the social and economic effects of the pandemic, including: public information campaigns aimed at health and hygiene; health screening and COVID-19 testing; support for health service provision; continuation of essential services (e.g. water, energy, accommodation); food package distribution; employee match-giving programme; support for SMEs and entrepreneurs; support for teachers and students; job training for post-pandemic employability; regional development planning to enhance local economic activity for the long term.

What is Anglo American’s approach to screening and testing for COVID-19?

Anglo American is conducting its own testing globally, for employees contractors, their households and the community. We have purchased and set up 45 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing machines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The machines are being used to test people who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and those who do not report symptoms, through random testing, including those who are high risk contacts.

In addition to several other screening measures that we have in place at all our sites and offices, we believe that testing is a key workplace control to prevent transmission of the disease. We are therefore testing a broader pool of employees in a shorter space of time than may be the case in other companies in mining and other industries. The more we test, the more positive COVID-19 cases are identified. The consequence of this is that our number of positive cases is higher than that across the industry, and in some cases within respective geographies.

While these numbers may seem alarming, we believe that testing helps us to ensure that positive cases are picked up earlier in the life cycle of the virus. We are also able to identify a larger portion of positive asymptomatic people, who wouldn’t necessarily be identified through routine screening. We are, therefore, able to isolate and treat people in the earlier stages of the disease. In doing so, we can take the necessary precautions to mitigate further transmission.

What controls does Anglo American have in place to prevent COVID-19 transmission within the workplace?

There are nine categories of workplace controls in place to manage COVID-19 effectively at our sites and offices. Each control contributes to our ability to stop the virus from spreading and keep our business running.

Self-monitoring and Reporting

Employees and contractors who work on our sites are required to self-monitor daily for symptoms and report if they have these. They are also required to disclose if they have been in close contact with a person who has contracted COVID-19. Personnel with early COVID-19 symptoms (fever ≥ 38°C, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath) or flu symptoms are to stay at home/camp, not come to work or if at work isolate and seek medical assistance.

Education and Communication

Anglo American has produced a raft of materials to educate employees and contractors on the spread of the virus as well as its symptoms and controls. Signage to this effect is also visible at our sites. Certain training is also being provided around COVID-19 protocols and procedures. In addition, Mental Health support materials are also available to employees.

Screening and Testing

Temperature screening and COVID-19 screening questionnaires will be conducted prior to entrance onto our sites and offices. In jurisdictions where COVID-19 testing is not managed by the national health service, employees and contractors will have access to COVID-19 testing facilities. Depending on the jurisdiction, these include PCR testing and/or COVID-19 rapid tests.

Sanitary Cordon

We have in place a ‘Sanitary Cordon’ around each operation with an ongoing restriction on visitors to our operations. However, in the event where an employer-critical visitor, supplier, customer or delivery service may need to attend a site, controlled access processes are in place, including sanitisation processes and full personal contact information collection, e.g. telephone number, last place visited, etc., to assist with potential contact tracing should it be needed. All visits and new contractor work has to be approved by the site General Manager.

Social Distancing

Social distancing, in order to reduce close contact and increase distance between people to mitigate contact exposure to COVID-19, is observed on all sites. It is also observed in transport, canteens, camps, in underground cages and for site meetings and gatherings.

Hygiene/Cleaning Measures

Hand washing and hand sanitisers are available at all sites. The practise of good personal hygiene, including washing of hands, using of hand sanitisers, sneezing into the elbow, etc., is also encouraged. Regular/routine cleaning of surfaces and equipment is in force and protocols are in place to clean and disinfect facilities and equipment. Sanitation is also provided on company transport.

De-densification of workplaces

Where possible, particularly at our corporate offices, we are reducing the number of employees present through alternative working arrangements.

Respiratory Protection

When social distancing can’t be achieved, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is to be used by employees and contractors at our operations. In addition, masks are provided in jurisdictions which enforce the wearing of masks.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing

We have in place systems and procedures to identify and trace potential individuals at risk from exposure to a suspected/confirmed/probable COVID-19 case during the infectious period. Depending on low- or high-risk exposure, these close contacts are either quarantined or asked to self-isolate and monitor their health.

What kind of testing is Anglo American undertaking?

It is important for us to make a distinction firstly between screening and testing:

From a screening perspective, employees are encouraged to monitor themselves firstly at home and seek medical help if they are experiencing symptoms. At the operational level, a temperature check is administered to every employee, and they also answer a questionnaire about their symptoms.

With reference to testing, as part of Anglo American’s WeCare programme, we have purchased and set up 45 PCR (polymerise chain reaction) testing machines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our employees, households and communities. The machines are being used to test people who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, we also plan to conduct rapid anti-body testing which assists in identifying people who might have already been exposed to the virus, typically asymptomatic people.

At what point would Anglo American close an operation based on positive COVID-19 cases?

All our operations have site-specific protocols that outline the escalation measures for the potential closure of our operations. We will not continue to operate if it puts our employees’ lives at risk.

How is Anglo American managing vulnerable employees in the workplace?

The lives and the livelihoods of our employees are of the utmost priority during this time. Some of our colleagues, or those they live with, have medical conditions that could put them at greater risk of falling severely ill from COVID-19.

Those in the highest risk category are people whose immune systems may be compromised as a result of a disease or treatment - examples include being treated for cancer, people living with HIV who have low CD4 counts, those with severe respiratory conditions like cystic fibrosis or frequent asthma, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary and severe lung fibrosis from tuberculosis.

Others also considered to be at risk include specific age categories as defined by local authorities (i.e. typically over 60 or 65 years) and all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled. This includes people with one of or a combination of chronic heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease and chronic kidney disease. Pregnant employees and those who are obese, or smoke are also at greater risk.

All of these colleagues are being given the care, help and support they need at work to minimise any chance of exposure - to them or those they live with. In some cases, this has meant alternative working arrangements, dedensification measures at operations where possible, additional personal protective equipment, redeployment or paid leave if the other options aren't appropriate or feasible.

Is Anglo American implementing random testing at the sites?

As part of our strategy, we are identifying asymptomatic people, as this will be our best tool in the response to this pandemic. This aims at focusing on our healthcare workers and the vulnerable members of our community.

Is Anglo American rolling out the testing to the families of employees?

Anglo American will be able to test the people that live with our employees.

Is Anglo American testing community members?

We are currently developing strategies to support the public health authorities with testing of people in the communities within our area of influence or as a broader public health response. This varies by geographical area, with donation of equipment in some areas to augment public service testing capacity or offering support for public service testing capacity in our own laboratories. We recognise that COVID-19 is a community and public health disease and thus as a good neighbour it is important that support is provided at this level as our communities are part of our business.