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Safety and Health
At KAZ Minerals, the safety and wellbeing of our employees and contractors is our top priority. We are committed to providing safe working conditions across all sites and continuously improving our approach to safety and health management. We believe all workplace incidents, including fatalities, are preventable.
Our performance is guided by the Group’s Living Goal Zero initiative, which promotes a safety-first mindset across all operations. The initiative covers industrial safety, occupational health, and environmental protection, and is supported by strong leadership, accountability, and employee engagement.
Building a safer future in mining
KAZ Minerals has achieved a long term downward trend in injuries and fatalities, with two fatality-free years achieved prior to 2023. We will continue to make the required improvements to our culture, training and work environment to ensure that we meet our goal of zero fatalities. Open pit mining, which now represents the majority of our production, is inherently safer than underground operations.
Fatalities
We are saddened to report that in 2024, there were four fatal incidents resulting in seven fatalities across our underground mines in the East Region of Kazakhstan and at the Bozymchak mine in Kyrgyzstan.
KAZ Minerals believes all fatalities are avoidable. In the event of a fatality, operations are suspended, senior management attends the site, incidents are investigated by state authorities, and a full internal investigation is conducted to determine root causes and implement improvements.
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of fatalities (employees and contractors) | 7 | 1 |
Injuries
KAZ Minerals tracks and investigates all injuries in accordance with ICMM definitions. Our Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) measures injuries per million hours worked and includes lost time, restricted work, and medical treatment cases.
| Year | TRIFR |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1.08 |
| 2023 | 1.06 |
| 2022 | 1.10 |
| 2021 | 1.02 |
| 2020 | 1.14 |
| 2019 | 1.38 |
| 2018 | 1.74 |
Recordable injury cases
In 2024, the Group recorded 46 recordable injuries, broadly in line with the 45 cases recorded in 2023. TRIFR increased slightly to 1.08, below the ICMM average of 2.59 in 2023.
The Group’s open pit operations have shown strong performance, achieving maximum Lost Time Injury-free intervals of up to 631 days at Bozshakol and 325 days at Aktogay.
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total recordable injuries: | 46 | 45 |
| Total recordable diseases: | 88 | 73 |
| Total recordable case frequency rate: | 3.15 | 2.77 |
Occupational health
In 2024, there were 88 new cases of occupational diseases (2023: 73), primarily related to radiculopathy and hand-arm vibration syndrome. These cases arose solely within the Group’s East Region underground operations.
No occupational health cases were recorded at Aktogay, Bozshakol, or Bozymchak during 2024.
KAZ Minerals takes a proactive approach to managing occupational health risks:
- Regular medical checks for early detection
- Time limits in roles with elevated risk exposure
- Ongoing PPE upgrades and equipment automation
- Strengthened medical services in East Region focused on prevention
Continuous improvement
While our overall safety performance shows a positive long-term trend, we remain focused on achieving our goal of zero industrial safety, occupational health or environmental incidents and protecting the wellbeing of everyone at our sites.
KAZ Minerals is committed to:
- Investigating all incidents and addressing root causes
- Sharing safety learnings across sites
- Investing in technology and training
- Promoting a culture of accountability and care
Latest case studies
Enhancing winter safety at Aktogay
Winter in Kazakhstan is marked by cold temperatures and difficult weather conditions including snowstorms and strong winds. This severe climate presents considerable challenges for both daily life and industrial operations, requiring effective safety measures and thorough preparation for personnel and equipment.