For the love of mine safety
Meet RBM's new safety, health, environment and security GM, Peter Eaglen.
FROM a humble upbringing near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to Malasia, Indonesia, Alaska, Canada, France, Mozambique and now Zululand – Peter Eaglen has travelled the world for the love of safe mining.
Richards Bay Minerals’ (RBM) new Safety, Health, Environment and Security General Manager (GM) has worked for four different mining houses since 1981, implementing his safety strategies in mineral industries varying from aluminium, coal and copper to uranium, lead and zinc.
And what he’s learnt, is that to accomplish ‘zero harm’ in any workplace, safety has to be part of the psyche.
‘Safety is not a switch you simply turn on at the gate entering a mine.
‘It has to be a way of life, both inside and outside of work,’ says Eaglen.
‘My intention is to use lots of tools to help RBM employees become unconsciously safe and predisposed to avoid risk at all times.
‘With an occupational workforce of 2 300 permanent employees plus 2 000 contractors on site, the overall impact of safety extended from work to home will be a winning game.’
Eaglen has a degree in chemistry and botany as well as a PhD in heavy metal chemistry, but health and safety always caught his interest being ‘intrinsically linked to any position’.
‘Humans are fundamental in a work environment, so their safety should always be a top priority.
‘You are not a great leader if you are not a good safety leader.’
With the support of his wife, Dr Juliette Neve, and two daughters Amelie (10) and Ava (12), he has followed his passion for the job and enthusiasm to be a productive change agent in the ever-evolving minerals industry to live on every single continent on the globe.
‘I’m definitely fortunate to have a supportive family. The first question I ask before moving to another country is whether my wife and daughters will be happy there, and they do love Zululand.’
