At Rio Tinto SimFer, Wontanara – meaning we are together – is the culture-by-design of the Simandou project.
On the red earth of the mine site, Guinean employees, Chinese partners, and colleagues from more than 40 countries work together. Morning toolbox meetings bring different languages and perspectives. Across work areas, teams from diverse backgrounds coordinate closely in an environment that demands focus and discipline. What unites them is a shared mission and a shared responsibility: ensuring that every person on site can work safely and return home after each day.
On site, Malinké, French, Susu, Chinese, and English can be heard over radios and across work areas. There is also another word shared across all teams: Amafènè.
Amafènè, which means “look” in Malinké, is our shared language of safety, and we are now deliberately extending it from simply Look to Look. Think. Act. This evolution strengthens our collective commitment to observing our environment, assessing risks, and taking action to protect one another.
- Look at the reality of our work area.
- Think about whether the area is safe for work to be carried out.
- Act to remove the risk or stop the work if it is unsafe to continue.
Beyond the words themselves, Amafènè represents our culture of safety grounded in awareness, reflection, and action. It means looking at our surroundings, thinking about how conditions may be unsafe, and acting accordingly. It may be spoken before a lift begins, signaled during equipment checks, or exchanged between colleagues watching out for each other. It reflects attentiveness, accountability, and genuine mutual care across all teams.
“Safety stands as our single most important focus – we are committed to making sure that every member of our team goes home safely after every shift”
Therese Dower
HSE General Manager for SimFer
“Safety stands as our single most important focus – we are committed to making sure that every member of our team goes home safely after every shift, ” said Therese Dower, the HSE General Manager for SimFer. “As construction and operations advance side by side, risks change. Maintaining a strong safety culture means staying alert, speaking up, and taking action whenever something doesn’t feel right.”
Production targets come second to safe delivery. Sustainable progress depends on putting people first.
Challenging periods often shape a project’s identity. At Simandou, these moments are reinforcing the practice of Wontanara. When compassion and solidarity are needed most, teams come together to support each other and speak up when it matters.
As the project moves through this important phase, one commitment stands firm: advancing responsibly while looking after one another. By keeping vigilance and care at the heart of everyday actions, Rio Tinto SimFer reinforces its ambition to deliver a project that creates lasting value and protects the people who make it possible.
In the spirit of Wontanara we always take the time to look, think and act.