ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment, ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
2020–2024 ICMM Safety Performance: Insights
10 July 2025
2024 marked the second consecutive yearly rise in fatalities across the ICMM membership. 42 colleagues tragically lost their lives at work – up from 36 in 2023 and 33 in 2022. This is hugely troubling and demands a response.
For the first time, we are releasing a dedicated briefing note to share insights drawn from our safety data reports between 2020 to 2024. Key patterns include incidents involving mobile equipment, fatalities in underground and process areas, region-specific safety trends, disparities between contractor and employee fatalities, and critical control breakdowns.
- ICMM members recorded 42 fatalities in 2024, up from 36 in 2023 and 33 in 2022 – marking the second consecutive yearly rise.
- Mobile equipment is the most common cause of fatalities, accounting for 26% of all fatalities between 2021 and 2024, often involving vehicle roll-aways, unsafe maintenance, or towing practices.
- Underground and ‘other process’ areas are consistently high-risk locations, with 90% of fatalities from 2020 to 2024 occurring in these environments.
- Africa accounted for 50% of fatalities in 2024, despite representing only 24% of hours worked; South Africa alone accounted for 15 fatalities out of 42.
- Contractors continue to face elevated fatality risk, despite a lower fatality frequency rate in 2024; long-term trends show contractors were more often involved in fatal incidents in 2022 and 2023.
- Critical control failures remain a primary driver of fatalities, with 67% of fatalities from 2021–2024 linked to ineffective control execution. In 2024, failure to implement effective critical controls accounted for 83% of fatalities
Safety performance reports
Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2023
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment, ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2022
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment, ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2021
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment, ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2020
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Safety Data: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2019
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Benchmarking Safety Data: Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2018
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Benchmarking Safety Data: Progress of ICMM Company Members (2017)
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Benchmarking Safety Data: Progress of ICMM Company Members (2016)
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Benchmarking Safety Data: Progress of ICMM Company Members (2015)
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Benchmarking Safety Data: Progress of ICMM Company Members (2014)
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
Benchmarking Safety Data: Progress of ICMM Company Members (2012-2013)
ICMM is committed to strengthening health and safety performance to reduce operational fatalities to zero. As part of this commitment ICMM produces an annual safety data report.
