REMOTE MINE SERVICES
Colluli is located in the Danakil Depression region of Eritrea , around 230 km by road southeast of the Port of Massawa ( credit : Danakali )
close to 50 indigenous suppliers in its supply chain , Roberts said .
In Australia , it has successfully integrated more indigenous representation into its camps in Port Hedland and Onslow , but Roberts was keen to emphasise that there was no ‘ cookie cutter ’ exercise to replicating this at every site in Australia .
“ A process of discovery is required in every community ,” she said . “ It is essential to get a strong sense of the local community first . By doing so , it is possible to identify the best opportunities to make an impact and achieve a positive outcome for the local community .”
This sees the company carry out in-depth research into the community in which it might become a part of before offering up guarantees to the client and community at hand .
The same due diligence is employed to ensure more of its procurement comes from local suppliers .
“ What we have learnt about making local procurement successful is we often need to support capability building in key corporate processes like food safety and other compliance requirements ,” she said . “ That effort is really worthwhile and creates life-changing community benefit .”
Another service provide that has successfully incorporated indigenous groups into its local offering is France-headquartered Sodexo .
Sodexo Canada recently partnered with its Inuit partner , Nuvu , to successfully mobilise a comprehensive integrated facility and food service to Canadian Royalties Inc ’ s ( CRI ) copper and nickel mine base camp in Nunavik , the most northern region of Quebec , Canada .
The company has been providing food and facilities management services in Canada for over 40 years . It has a focus on enhancing safety , work process and well-being , exemplified by a recent decision to partner with Bureau Veritas on introducing a hygiene verification label for Sodexo procedures and services to support business reopening amid COVID-19 .
At a national level , Sodexo Canada counts more than 80 Indigenous suppliers to deliver local goods in the remote camps it is serving , from Nunavut to the North territories .
Like Compass Group , the company ensures its partners meet its standards through on-the-job training and coaching to get the “ right engagement in the process and ensure that the process is in place for the continuity of our business relationship ”, Pierre-Henry Arsapin , District Manager Energy & Resources at Sodexo Canada , said .
Arsapin added : “ Food safety is , of course , our utmost priority and it is our responsibility to make sure that our partners are following the protocols we put in place to ensure a safe work environment .”
In July 2020 , Sodexo was engaged to provide facility and food services at CRI ’ s mining camp in addition to supplying the necessary PPE considering the evolving global COVID-19 pandemic . Due to weather as well as the mine ’ s location and operational needs , Sodexo ’ s mobilisation required the sourcing and delivery of the nine-month supply of food and provisions in a six-week timeframe while managing the transition of essential hospitality services to ensure the health and safety of all employees .
Sodexo and Nuvu successfully established a team to secure a reliable supply chain . Together , they leveraged Sodexo ’ s international experience and Nuvu ’ s local expertise to apply innovative methods and cultivate meaningful relationships with the community to deliver results , Sodexo said .
During the mobilisation , mine operations went uninterrupted , with Sodexo sourcing and distributing all supplies through its Canadian supply chain network . It involved the sourcing of provisions for three meals per day over 279 days and the delivery of 102 containers .
In addition , Sodexo was managing accommodation , concierge and logistics for the home-to-home journey experience of more than 450 base camp employees and CRI collaborators .
The company explained : “ Our team coordinated efforts across our global company and with our local partners to deliver provisions safely and on schedule . Sodexo sourced cleaning and disinfectant products to ensure pandemic health and safety protocols could be followed at the base camp . At destination , the team was responsible for unloading the containers , transferring goods to trucks for transport to the base camp . The unloading required the team to use special insulated blankets to ensure provisions didn ’ t freeze .”
The company was able to exceed the project ’ s environmental targets through “ responsible sourcing ”. This included providing milk in recyclable containers .
Erwin Joosten , Senior Vice President , Energy & Resources , said : “ At Sodexo , sustainability is one of our key pillars . I ’ m proud of our supply team who collaborated with local partners to think outside of the box in order to ensure we were able to meet and exceed our environmental goals for this project .”
Sodexo said its work with CRI went beyond supplying provisions , with the company transitioning some of its existing employees to the base camp and , through its partnership with Nuvu , welcoming new employees from the surrounding Inuit community .
Joosten added : “ Our relationships with Inuit communities are true partnerships that are mutually beneficial . Our work boosts the education , health and overall wellness of the communities we serve . At the same time , with the support of Nuvu , we have been able to leverage Inuit talent to help us deliver our services .”
Sodexo also hired a special COVID-19 team , in charge of distributing cabarets , glasses and utensils , as well as cleaning high touch surfaces on an hourly basis . These measures were taken to ensure a safe working environment for everyone , it said .
Sodexo Canada , having applied the ‘ hygiene verification label ’ and leveraged standard operating procedures for COVID-19 developed operating all over the globe , has ended up being viewed as a “ strategic business partner ” as opposed to a subcontractor , according to Arsapin .
This has seen existing clients and prospects request specific “ Pandemic Protocol ” on top of the company ’ s core offering .
Arsapin explained : “ What we call a business continuity plan used to be an ‘ annex ’, but now it ’ s part of the core offer , and is a requirement to
102 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2021