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THE British Standards Institute (BSI) has re-certified Mopani Copper Mines for operating in compliance with the international quality management system standard.
In a statement released yesterday, Mopani Copper Mines chief executive officer Danny Callow stated that the recertification followed a successful quality management system audit which took place in December 2012.
Callow stated that the recertification of ISO 9001 was a demonstration of the company’s commitment to operating within the internationally accepted guidelines while promoting stakeholders’ interests and upholding environmental sustainability.
“The company has invested heavily to improve the quality of its operations and subsequently twelve more sites have received certification over the past 12 years. This third recertification reaffirms our dedication to operational standards,” Callow stated.
He stated that the company’s quality management system was structured to comply, at a minimum, with the conditions set forth in the international quality management system standard BS EN ISO 9001:2008, which ensures equitable share of benefits and prudent use of natural resources.
“We are committed to passing this quality on to our customers through the high-quality finished metals that we produce and the associated after sale technical service support. Above all, we are committed to producing copper and cobalt metals in a safe and environmentally friendly manner which is in line with international best practices,” Callow stated.
He further stated that Mopani’s overall performance compared favourably with the global performance of other BSI certified companies, achieving equal to or better standards than over 70 per cent of the sample cases examined during the audit process.
Callow stated that some of the key criteria included documentation, infrastructure and management commitment.
He stated that in terms of documentation, which was a major concern worldwide, Mopani had performed above the global average.
And BSI regional managing director for Middle East and Africa Theuns Kotzé said the certification was a stepping stone and evidence of the company’s on-going commitment to Quality Management and Continual Improvement.
ISO certification is a prerequisite for listing on the London Metal Exchange (LME) that demonstrates that a company is dedicated to providing high quality products to its clients, produced in a safe and secure environment with observance of good environmental practices.
Mopani has invested around $2 billion into the rehabilitation and operation of its infrastructure, after previous underinvestment had threatened the long term sustainability of the company. The key infrastructure projects include the upgrade of the smelter complex in Mufulira to align it with internationally accepted standards in terms of environmental sustainability.
