From mine development to safety leadership

Safety has never been an afterthought at SECMC. From the onset, SECMC had a daring ideology; that a megaproject coal mine in Pakistan could be run to meet world-class levels of safety, despite being one of the most problematic places to work and with an almost untrained labour force.

It was not only the creation of a mine, but the change of the culture of safety in the mining industry in Pakistan. SECMC is now one of the clearest examples of how powerful systems, targeted training, and everlasting enhancement may turn around what is believed to be possible in high-risk sectors.

Safety first: Building mines around people

SECMC started its operations in Thar, a remote location where the majority of the local workforce had little or no experience working in heavy industries. The number of individuals who had never been in a mine before was high. The majority of them having never undergone formal training in safety. Some were unaware of what was meant by the term workplace safety.

Training as the backbone of safety

Training became the strongest pillar of SECMC’s safety journey.

Because most of the workforce was unskilled and new to mining, SECMC designed its training system from the basics, explaining what safety is, why it matters, and how injuries happen. Over time, this basic understanding grew into technical competence and safety ownership.

SECMC established a structured and layered training system, including:

• Daily Toolbox Talks (TBTs) focused on task-specific risks, lessons from incidents, and hazards.
• Weekly D-Level trainings reinforcing critical safety topics, procedures, and behaviours.
• Formal induction and refresher training for all employees and contractors.
• Role-specific and equipment-specific training before assigning any task.
• Gap assessments and competency verification, ensuring no one works beyond their capability.

Training was practical, visual, and repetitive. Demonstrations, field coaching, and supervisor engagement were prioritised over classroom theory. Over the years, workers from local Thar communities progressed from having no industrial background to confidently discussing hazards, controls, and safe work practices.

Safety training at SECMC is not an event, it is a daily routine.

A risk-based safety system

As operations expanded, SECMC implemented a risk-based Safety and Health Management System, aligned with international best practices. The focus shifted from rules alone to understanding what can seriously harm people and how to prevent it.

Risk identification, strong controls, leadership accountability, workforce involvement, and formal change management became part of daily operations. Safety ownership moved beyond the HSE function and became embedded across operational leadership.

Critical control management (ICMM alignment)

SECMC further strengthened its safety framework by adopting critical control management (CCM) aligned with ICMM principles.

Through this process, SECMC:

• Identified material unwanted events (MUEs).
• Developed bowties to understand causes and consequences along with preventive and mitigative barriers.
• Established performance standards to ensure critical controls remain effective.

This allowed the organisation to focus on what truly prevents fatal and serious incidents, while continuously verifying control effectiveness.

Operational growth alongside safety maturity

SECMC’s operational journey mirrors its safety evolution.

The mine started with a small number of local dumpers and excavators, suitable for early-stage development. As experience, systems, and competencies matured, SECMC steadily expanded its fleet.

Today, the operation runs with a large, world-class mining equipment fleet, supported by:

• Structured risk assessments for each equipment type.
• Equipment-specific SOPs and Safe Work Instructions.
• Operator training, authorisation, and reassessment.
• Engineering controls aligned with principal hazards.

This ensured that equipment scale-up never outpaced safety capability.

Learning, improving, and moving forward

SECMC experienced recordable injuries in its early years – a reality of developing a large mine in a challenging environment. What defined the organisation was how it responded.

Every incident became a learning opportunity. Systems were strengthened, training was improved, and controls were upgraded. This culture of continuous improvement steadily transformed safety performance.

2025: A defining year for safety

The year 2025 marked a historic milestone for SECMC:

• Lowest-ever TRIR: 0.025.
• 20 million safe man-hours achieved.
• Strongest safety performance since inception.

These results were not achieved through short-term initiatives, but through years of consistent training, leadership commitment, and workforce engagement. Building on this, the company enters 2026 with the aim of achieving ‘zero injury’.

Health, well-being, and sustainability

SECMC’s safety vision goes beyond injury prevention. The company has established strong systems for occupational health, fatigue management, fitness-for-work assessments, and on-site medical support.

Environmental responsibility is integrated into operations through water management, dust control, land rehabilitation, and community engagement, reinforcing the link between safe operations and sustainable mining.

We have come a long way

From a greenfield mine with a small local fleet and an unskilled workforce, to a world-class mining operation with mature safety systems, SECMC has come a long way. The journey proves a powerful point: when people are trained, systems are strong, and learning never stops safety excellence follows.

SECMC’s experience is not just a company story, it is a new safety benchmark for mining in Pakistan – and the journey continues.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/08012026/from-mine-development-to-safety-leadership/