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AMS AMSP
ANANP
AMS / AMSP - Anglo Platinum to suspend production at Rustenburg to address
safety concerns
Anglo Platinum Limited
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
Registration No.: 1946/022452/06
JSE Ordinary Share Code: AMS
ISIN: ZAE000013181
JSE Preference Share Code: AMSP
ISIN: ZAE000054474
("Anglo Platinum")
Anglo Platinum to suspend production at Rustenburg to address safety concerns
Anglo Platinum announces that it will suspend underground production at its
Rustenburg Platinum Mine`s Rustenburg section for approximately 7 days to
implement measures to address concerns associated with the safety of employees.
In line with Anglo American`s core safety values, Anglo Platinum`s highest
priority remains the safety of employees (including contract employees).
Management has invested significant resources in the implementation of a
comprehensive suite of safety standards and initiatives designed to deliver a
sustainable step change improvement in safety performance.
During the first half of 2007, however, the safety record at Anglo Platinum`s
Rustenburg section deteriorated significantly. Over the past two weeks, five
employees have lost their lives in work related events at the Rustenburg section
- bringing the total there to 12 during 2007. Despite the initiatives already in
place, in consultation with Anglo American, management has decided to take
immediate action. Management believes that the appropriate action must be to
suspend production.
The intervention will ensure that every employee fully understands the
principles and accountability underlying all current safety standards,
initiatives and programmes and that safety is the overriding priority. The audit
of each workplace will ensure that measures are in place to safely implement the
suspension of production and will identify and address any new factors that
contributed to the deterioration.
While each underground production shaft at Rustenburg section will halt
production for between 5 and 7 days, expected to commence on 22 June 2007, the
intervention programme at the mine will be staggered over a five-week period to
optimise resource allocation and the effectiveness of contact between management
and employees.
Anglo Platinum expects production in 2007, as a direct result of this
intervention, to reduce by between 10 000 and 15 000 ounces of refined platinum
and the proportionate reduction of associated by-products produced.
Chief Executive Officer Ralph Havenstein said, "Employee safety is our highest
priority and where extreme steps are necessary we will not hesitate to take
action. This intervention will greatly support the ongoing initiatives already
in place to assist us in reaching our objective of zero harm."
Cynthia Carroll, CEO of Anglo American said, "As I have consistently emphasised
publicly, achieving a dramatic improvement in the Group`s safety performance is
an overriding priority in the programme of change that we are taking forward
within Anglo American. We must ensure that our operations are places from which
employees and contractors return safely at the end of their workday. The
suspension reinforces our commitment to safety and makes clear that we will take
the measures necessary to deliver on that objective."
For further information, please contact:
Trevor Raymond
+27 11 373 6462
+27 82 654 8467
18 June 2007
Sponsor
Merrill Lynch South Africa (Proprietary) Limited
Date: 18/06/2007 09:00:01 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.
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