Crisis response capability for mines

June 2013 Security Services & Risk Management, Mining (Industry)

The wave of recent violent strikes that has recently hit the South African mining industry demonstrates the need for experienced teams to manage unusual, high-profile and complex events. In response to this need, Barnstone Corporate Services has launched Barnstone Mining Crisis Response.

Barnstone Mining Crisis Response aims to give mines access to a team with experience in managing this type of event. Large-scale labour disruptions, massive natural disasters and similar events require quick responses to a constantly shifting set of circumstances, and liaison with multiple stakeholders – all coordinated through a single hub to ensure consistency and effectiveness. In such a situation, mines might also need short-term access to specific specialist resources in a wide variety of fields.

Such events are, by their very nature, unusual and so it is highly unlikely that even the largest mining house has the skills and experience in house to deal with them. And, after years of running lean, it is no surprise that few mining houses have the necessary capabilities in house.

Founded in 2005, Barnstone is a professional services firm focusing on programme and project management, change management, IT implementation and support, risk and training solutions for the mining and resources industries.

In the course of its work, the company has several times been called in to help clients deal with complex, high-profile events that are totally out of the normal line of business. One example was the vesting of shares in a large black economic empowerment scheme, which required providing support to large numbers of miners at multiple sites in a variety of languages, working with unions, and managing a multi-pronged communications programme with internal and external stakeholders. Other examples include managing one of South Africa’s largest black economic empowerment deals and a large-scale (and very sensitive) legal investigation.

Barnstone’s Crisis Response is structured across four dimensions:

* Crisis management project office to take stock of the situation, prioritise actions, set timelines, allocate resources and report back.

* Communications hub to identify communications needs for each stakeholder group, develop messages and set up delivery channels.

* Resource pool to identify critical needs, and deliver tactical and administrative support as required.

* Stabilisation program to help the organisation return to normal. Services here might include helping to renew employee contracts, developing and facilitating group communication sessions, and identifying hot spots that need to be watched.

Barnstone has offices in Pretoria, Centurion, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, South Africa as well as Perth, Australia. For more information http://www.barnstone.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Convergence of cyber and physical security
Integrated Solutions Security Services & Risk Management
The overlap between cybersecurity and physical security will necessitate the integration of cyber and physical security in order to enable the sharing of events to the same security operations centre.

Read more...
Reduce electrical risks in commercial and industrial buildings
Security Services & Risk Management
Eaton’s new whitepaper aims to help professionals reduce electrical risks in commercial and industrial buildings and prevent faults that can endanger workers, damage property and disrupt business continuity.

Read more...
Sustainability School opens for enrolment
Education (Industry) News Security Services & Risk Management
Three-part programme, first developed for Schneider Electric employees, is now available for free for companies worldwide. Attendees learn how to future-proof their businesses and accelerate their decarbonisation journeys.

Read more...
Maximum fire protection for the most dangerous places
Securiton Fire & Safety Mining (Industry) Products
Africa’s heavy mining and resource processing industries are some of the continent’s leading economic lights. They also present some of its toughest fire safety challenges on the planet.

Read more...
Success in business process best practices
Technews Publishing Kleyn Change Management Editor's Choice Integrated Solutions Security Services & Risk Management
This month we commandeer time with the woman who is spearheading our national conversation on Women in Security, Lesley-Anne Kleyn, to get to know the lady herself a little better.

Read more...
Security awareness training
Training & Education Security Services & Risk Management
It is critically important to have a security awareness solution that uses the limited time available to train effectively, and one that provides targeted education that is relevant to users.

Read more...
Technology to thwart solar panel thieves
Asset Management, EAS, RFID Security Services & Risk Management Products
A highly efficient industrial network is coming to the rescue of the solar industry, as solar panels, inverters and batteries are being targeted by thieves and threaten to destabilise the industry.

Read more...
Banking the unbanked comes with security risks
Financial (Industry) Security Services & Risk Management
As grim as it was, the pandemic of recent years and its resultant global economic crisis were a prime catalyst for record number of first-time bank users, the previously unbanked.

Read more...
Security is like infinity
Alwinco Security Services & Risk Management
Security needs constant attention, dedication and input. The scary thing is that most people think that security is something that you buy, install, and then forget about.

Read more...
Vulnerabilities in industrial cellular routers’ cloud management platforms
Industrial (Industry) Cyber Security Security Services & Risk Management
Research from OTORIO, a provider of operational technology cyber and digital risk management solutions, unveils cyber risks in M2M protocols and asset registration that expose hundreds of thousands of devices and OT networks to attack

Read more...