33 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2025 NCT commenced with an initiative in 2024 to create awareness of fraud within the organisation, and how staff can play their role to prevent it. This training was rolled out in compliance with the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act. Further initiatives of this nature will follow in future as part of NCT’s ethics framework. The total training spend for the year amounted to R998 028 and NCT was able to recover R303 854 from the FP&M Seta when we submitted our return during the 2025 year. Worker safety The process of manufacturing woodchips spans over a wide variety of high-risk operations from planting, harvesting, transporting and finally chipping round logs for the export market. To ensure employee safety, potential hazards and risks are identified using a systematic risk assessment. The purpose of the risk assessment is to identify, eliminate and/or mitigate potential risks where possible and improve overall safety in the workplace. Employees are also trained in Safe Work Procedures that outline in detail the step-by-step process necessary to guide them in the execution of their tasks so that they can perform their work efficiently and safely without danger to themselves or others. A Medical Surveillance Programme assists in the monitoring of workers’ health and well-being. The aim of this programme is to optimise employee health by identifying early signs of work-related health issues, evaluating the effectiveness of control measures and to determine whether the employee can continue working in their current environment. Essential and required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is issued to all employees annually, as indicated on the PPE Risk Register. PPE is used when other controls methods are inadequate and is essential for employees to perform their duties safely. Work-related incidents reported During the Richards Bay Mill rebuild project, the main contractor appointed a health and safety consultant to oversee construction-specific health and safety responsibilities. Key focus areas included stringent contractor selection based on safety history, thorough review of safety files to ensure alignment with the project scope, and daily site inspections by a dedicated safety officer. Non-conformances were actively reported and addressed, while all incidents were promptly investigated, managed, and closed out in accordance with safety protocols.
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