Everyone a winner at Sappi Safety Awards

Winners all: The Sappi Safety Excellence Awards have become a highlight for employees and competition is fierce among the contesting business units awarded in the various categories.

The two safest business units that were singled out as overall winners, was the Sappi Stanger Mill in the manufacturing category, and Sappi Forests Zululand in the forestry category. Both these business units are extending their reign as top units for a second year running.

The awards are held annually to celebrate the achievements by employees and contractors who are nominated for their consistent and uncompromising commitment and dedication to Sappi’s zero-injury approach to safety, keeping everyone in their scope of influence safe and protected throughout the year.

Individuals that were singled out were:

• Kendy Kambarami, Ngodwana Mill
  
• Rendani Madula, Tech Centre
  
• Roshan Maharajh, Stanger Mill
  
• Ncamisile Mdadane, Saiccor Mill
  
• Elvis Bandhla, Somusa Forestry Mpumalanga
  
• Karen Mattheus, Lomati Mill
  
• Danie Rossouw, Sappi Rosebank
  
• Nyasha Zimbodza, Sappi Forests Zululand
  
• Rama Reddy, Goldfields Sappi Tugela Mill
  
• Nelisiwe Ngwenya, Mhlambanyathi Forestry Mpumalanga
  
• Gideon Mkhabela, Ngodwana Mill
  
• Sbahle Dlamini, Sappi Forests KZN

Contractors that excelled were IPSS Contractors at Ngodwana Mill, Mhlambanyathi Forestry in Mpumalanga, Waybar Construction at Saiccor Mill and Farmusa Agric & Forestry Contractors in KwaZulu-Natal.

Elvis Bandhla from Somusa Forestry; Carina Potgieter, general manager Mhlambanyathi; Patrick Maringa, Sappi Forests senior area manager; Lebo Mokgotla from Mhlambanyathi, and Takalani Mufamadi, Sappi Forestry manager Harvesting and Silviculture.

Sappi employees celebrating in style.

Mthokozisi Jili, GM of Stanger Mill accepts the award as overall winner in Safest Business unit in the manufacturing category from Alex Thiel, CEO of Sappi Southern Africa.

Collecting the award for safest business unit within Sappi Forests were the Zululand team: Musa Sithole, management forester Zululand; Wendy Zondi, forestry manager Zululand Coastal and Ciniso Magagula, forester Mooiplaas.

Nyasha Zimbodza was awarded for being the Most Safety Conscious Sappi employee at Sappi Forests. She received her award from Tugela general manager, Philani Gumede.

One of the key fundamentals of the Sappi Southern Africa (SSA) business strategy is to drive operational excellence and one of the ways in which this is championed is through acknowledging and celebrating our safety-first culture. Supporting the health, safety and well-being of our employees and contractor employees is the cornerstone of our business. All our pulp and paper mills are certified to OHSAS 18001 to ensure best practice in health and safety, and we work to entrench the principles of safety first across all our operations every day, to encourage a 24/7 safety mindset.

“The importance of these awards has grown, making them highly prized in our company,” said SSA CEO Alex Thiel. “It is always my greatest pleasure to recognise the individuals and teams – both from within Sappi, but also from our contractor ranks – who show their unflinching commitment to safety by being always vigilant, looking out for the safety of all, and having the courage to challenge any unsafe acts or conditions. They may be the winners of the awards, but in doing what they do, they make winners of us all – ensuring that thousands of people return home safely to their families and loved ones every day.”

Sappi’s annual Safety Excellence Awards have become a celebration of safe behaviour and display a company where safety has become a way of life for its employees and contractors.