P RO C ESS I N G Impressive performance

For Natascha Viljoen, Processing, Marketing & Sustainability executive vice-president, the journey towards improved business performance started five years ago for her team.

“We set about introducing a new way of working, founded on creating a safe and enabling working environment, empowering our employees, managing our assets for optimal performance and ensuring our processes adapt to every ore type we process.

“This is founded in a principle of continuous improvement, utilising Six Sigma [a quality improvement model] as the approach and mission directed work teams. These teams are focused on vertical integration, but, more importantly, are used to engage every employee in every aspect of the workplace. One of the benefits has been the impressive number of innovations originating from the shop floor,” she says.

As part of the journey, Lonmin developed its own in-house Six Sigma training programme and introduced the first processing learnerships in the platinum industry. In the past year 14 Black Belts were accredited and 10 employees passed the first phase of the learnership programme at NQF level 2.

“That the approach works is shown by our excellent operational results. We produced 751 000 platinum ounces in concentrate during the year to September 30, up 10,5% on the previous year and the highest in six years, while 709 000 refined ounces were produced. This was achieved despite the pipeline having to be refilled, following the disruption caused by the events at Marikana the previous year. Also, this was achieved with one less concentrator in operation and a roof failure at Number 2 Furnace, which put it out of action for part of the year,” says Viljoen.

Concentrator recovery has increased from 79% to 87% since 2008 and instantaneous recovery, which includes the smelters and refining, from 72% to 85% during the same period.

The smelter performed exceptionally well during the past year, with total tonnage smelted increasing by 21%. “Our strategy of increasing our back-up capacity at the smelter has been vindicated,” she says.

Her pride in her team is evident as she describes the other milestones achieved by the division, which include:

Safety: The shift in emphasis to a pre-