A breakthrough in electrical safety and energy isolation

Igor Voinov has been working for our Kazakhstan-based operator, Kazzinc, his whole career. Joining in 1997 – the same year that modern-day Kazzinc was founded, he has worked across multiple teams, risen through the organisation, met his wife, Irina, who also works at the company, and started a family.

Watch his story here and read more below.
 

Read more about how we achieved a step-change in electrical safety and energy isolation

With a history of having been part of the Soviet Union, Kazzinc was somewhat restricted from international best practice relating to safety and electric isolation. Following a number of fatal incidents, a decision was taken to make a step-change and introduce Glencore’s SafeWork programme.

Initially, one of Glencore’s electrical engineers from Australia was brought in to undertake an audit and identify all of the areas that needed attention. And in 2014, Igor and a number of Kazzinc employees were taken to visit our Australia operations to see first-hand best practice in electrical safety and energy isolation.  

Shortly after, Kazzinc launched a modernisation programme, aimed at upgrading electrical equipment and implementing new safety processes. We developed training centres and mining simulators, allowing employees to gain valuable experience in safe and controlled environments above ground. Our electrical engineering staff were equipped with electrical arc protective wear, including heatproof overalls with electro-resistant shields and linings, ensuring protection from injury.

Safety leadership is a fundamental part of our transformation plan. Employees from all levels feed back to their work teams on equipment and protocol, ensuring we mitigate and eliminate safety risks that may present themselves throughout the day. From workers to management, SafeWork unites our teams through a common goal – raising the bar to a global standard, and ensuring that every single employee can go home safely to their families.