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British Sugar colleagues at the Wissington sugar factory, UK.
Loss of life in our operations is unacceptable and we expect all colleagues to return home after work as well as when they arrived. As such, we are deeply saddened to report one employee and five contractor fatalities this year. An employee died from drowning in a water canal in Malawi. In Tanzania, a contractor driver was fatally injured by a moving vehicle. In Zambia, a contractor was electrocuted during electric works and in South Africa, a contractor was fatally injured during tree felling. In Malawi, a security contractor died as a result of responding to criminal activity.
Following these tragic events, the priority was to ensure the families and colleagues of those who died were supported. Thorough root cause investigations were conducted by the businesses, and the learnings shared with all our operations. Remedial actions, including a review of our safety culture and training expectations with our contractors, have been implemented to minimise the likelihood of such events reocurring
In 2023/24, the number of employee injuries increased from 45 to 57, which represents a rate increase of 27% from 0.15% in 2023, to 0.20% in the reporting year. The number of contractors experiencing a Loss Time Injury (LTI) while on-site increased by 38% from 24 to 33. This is an LTI rate of 0.19% in 2023/24 for contractor on-site LTIs.
Employee on-site Lost Time Injuries and Lost Time Injury Rate (%)
Our sugar operations in the UK experienced a decrease in contractor LTIs in 2023/24, although operations in Spain and southern Africa had increased contractor safety incidents. The businesses are continuing to work hard to address the root causes of the injuries and share learnings with each other.
As safety is one of ABF Sugar’s most material issues and a number one strategic priority, we are very disappointed with the overall safety performance this year. All the businesses are dedicated to providing a safe place to work and to creating a culture of zero compromise towards safety.
ABF Sugar has implemented several key health and safety initiatives as part of its safety strategic priorities in 2023/24. The division conducted a comprehensive risk assessment, based on a data-driven approach, to assess and further mitigate the types of risk that it has identified as ‘critical to life’. This exercise identified critical controls necessary to address such risks, which ABF Sugar’s businesses then assessed and reinforced across their sites. The internal audit team reviewed these site assessments and corrective actions are being implemented to close any potential gaps.
ABF Sugar refined its governance structure, establishing clear safety targets and redesigning its organisational structure to ensure that those targets can be achieved. It has also developed metrics to track safety performance and created new processes to foster cross-business collaboration and communication.
In the area of competence and behavioural safety, ABF Sugar rolled out a Personal Choices programme across the businesses. Azucarera, in collaboration with an external consultant, developed a Health and Safety Competency Management Model, transitioning from traditional job specifications to competence-based management. A safety competence matrix was created to identify the technical and soft skills necessary for each role, allowing individuals to achieve the appropriate level of health and safety competencies. This successful approach is now being adapted by other ABF Sugar businesses.
ABF Sugar continually enhances its systems to maintain the robustness of its health and safety standards, risk management practices and performance measurement. It is continuing to invest in data and digital reporting systems to reduce reliance on paper-based processes and deal with hazards and risks more proactively. In 2023/24, ABF Sugar deployed an Integrated Safety Management System, developing a digital platform designed to manage various safety aspects, including audit processes, safety incident reporting, contractor pre-qualification assessments and action plans tracking.
ABF Sugar businesses prioritise employee wellbeing, implementing programmes designed to promote physical, emotional, mental, social and financial wellbeing.
At our sugar businesses in Africa, new employee wellbeing committees were established in 2023/24 as part of the new operating model of the businesses’ medical services, which delivers primary health care and occupational health. This strategic shift aims to improve the medical services capability to provide risk-based medical surveillance. The businesses proactively screen employees for workplace risks they are exposed to, supporting the objective of achieving safety through preventive measures rather than taking a more reactive approach.
During 2023/24, the sugar businesses in Africa recorded a total of 46,563 visits by employees to its medical facilities for occupational health services, including pre-employment, periodic, and exit medical examinations, lung function tests, hearing tests, biological monitoring, and vision screening. All new employees at our African sugar businesses are required to undergo an occupational health evaluation to assess their fitness to work in their specific work environments. These occupational health services are also provided to contractors working on our African sugar sites.
At British Sugar, the team has implemented several holistic wellbeing initiatives to support both office-based and site-based employees. These initiatives address various needs such as mental health, physical safety and financial wellbeing. They include dedicated quiet rooms across sites, offering staff a peaceful environment for reflection or prayer. Additionally, a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programme is being introduced to equip all staff with the skills and confidence to intervene in life-saving situations, both on-site and outside of working hours. Financial support and advice available through an independent advisor to help employees manage their finances more effectively.
In addition, at the Vivergo Fuels site in the UK, the business has trained around 17% of its total workforce as Mental Health First Aiders.
Our sugar businesses in Africa have sugar estates that are situated in rural and remote areas, creating a need to provide accommodation for many employees and their families. Each operation has a comprehensive plan to continuously invest in its accommodation infrastructure.
In 2024, ABF Sugar began a review of the housing and living conditions across its sugar estates in Zambia, Malawi, Eswatini, South Africa and Tanzania. The findings of the review have formed the basis for the new ABF Sugar Housing and Living Standards Programme.
The programme aims to enhance decent and safe living conditions for employees living on the estates. Each country team has developed an updated set of minimum standards covering various aspects, including occupancy level, number of rooms per household and provision of amenities such as washing and cooking facilities.
Employee housing on the Ubombo Sugar Estate in Eswatini
The programme is divided into three streams of work:
ABF Sugar believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) positively impacts business performance, innovation, talent attraction and retention. The business aims to ensure that it reflects the markets in which it operates and creates an inclusive environment where employees feel a sense of belonging.
ABF Sugar’s Spanish business Azucarera holds an annual diversity week, DEI workshops, training with external partners and events to encourage younger women in the local community to consider technical careers. In November 2023, the regional government of Castille and Leon awarded Azucarera a prize in recognition of its work promoting gender equality in the workplace, going beyond regulation to take actions that address gender equality, including consideration of balancing work with personal and family life and reviewing any salary gaps.
Illovo Sugar Malawi launched the Illovo Women in Leadership Forum, aiming to help the business attract and retain female employees as well as foster support for women in leadership programmes.
At British Sugar, there has been a focus on inclusion and diversity over the course of 2023/24. The business created a video to raise awareness and understanding of some of the barriers individuals face in their day-to-day work and launched an e-learning module called ‘Conscious Inclusion’, which over 70% of employees completed in 2024.
Number of employees and percentage of women in workforce
In addition, a series of ‘Spotlight Inclusion’ events have taken place, bringing people together to raise awareness of key topics and hear personal stories. Events so far have focused on women, neurodiversity, mental health and wellbeing, and menopause.
ABF Sugar is dedicated to developing the skills and expertise of its people and supports their career progression. The division offers an International Experience Programme, allowing colleagues to spend six months with another sugar business in a different country to promote shared learning and networking.
Individual businesses tailor their approach to their local context and develop projects to support the aspirations of their people. By the end of 2023/24, 850 leaders across the division had participated in Lumina team effectiveness sessions, from Executive level to front-line level across all functions. These sessions help identify individual strengths, fostering strong and diverse teams.
During 2023/24, a total of 43 people participated in talent programmes at Azucarera in Spain, and six took part in its mentoring programme. Azucarera also conducted a training programme for 128 leaders this year, covering three levels, operative, tactical and strategic leadership, to ensure managers have the necessary skills for their role.
At British Sugar, 92% of the workforce have an account on its Workplace platform, with 64% of colleagues engaging with content in 2023/24. The platform serves as a channel for sharing videos, best practices and recognising positive behaviours. This complements regular face-to-face communication, as well as weekly, monthly and annual briefings. In 2023/24, the network of Communication Champions expanded to 22, ensuring further that all voices are heard.
Our sugar businesses in Africa have a Leadership Development Programme, created in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa. In 2023, 23 leaders from the six countries where our sugar businesses in Africa operate completed the programme, with 22 more leaders participating in 2024. The eight-month programme includes assessments, classroom learning, action learning projects, in-country immersion and engagements with the Illovo Executive Committee.
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British Sugar colleagues at our factory in Wissington, UK
The Personal Choices psychological safety programme has transitioned from its pilot phase and is now being implemented across British Sugar operations. The programme focuses on building an understanding of how we make choices at the point of risk.
The programme improves safety culture by educating employees on the subconscious factors that influence their choices, such as personal risk perception, the balance between time and risk, ingrained habits and the disconnect between mind and body.
Personal Choices was fully rolled out at three British Sugar sites and is being deployed across the rest of the business. Early results show an improvement in both language and behaviour, a reduction in all types of injuries, and an increase in near-miss reporting.
Representatives from British Sugar sites and the Safety and Health team at the RoSPA Awards, UK
British Sugar entered the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Awards in 2023/24. The RoSPA awards are a well-recognised way to benchmark and celebrate health and safety performance. British Sugar was delighted to receive three golds and one silver award for the four sites that entered.
Zambia Sugar launches Financial Wellness Program to enhance employee financial literacy and wellbeing
Zambia Sugar has launched a business-wide financial wellness programme to help employees manage any debts and support overall wellbeing. The programme was developed as part of a broader employee wellbeing strategy to address the increasing cost of living and lack of financial understanding among some employees. The action plan was created in August 2023, in collaboration with leading financial organisations in Zambia. A total of 6,366 employees, including both permanent and seasonal staff, participated in financial literacy training. By the end of October 2023, 3,800 employees had successfully completed the programme.
British Sugar colleagues at our factory in Wissington, UK
British Sugar is expanding its apprenticeship programme and is planning its largest intake yet starting in September 2024. New opportunities include engineering, agriculture, IT and commercial roles. The apprenticeships last between 18 and 48 months and lead to qualifications at Level 2 to Level 6.
Over 80% of apprentices still work within the business after 10 years. ABF Sugar is committed to developing the next generation of talent and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
