How the Woodsmith mine is set to create 400 more jobs

The Woodsmith mine project currently employs 600 people and once the recruitment drive is completed, it expects to employ up to 1,000 people and support another 1,500 in the supply chain and wider economy.

The workforce hit a peak of 1,200 last year, but this was before the project’s future was put in doubt and mining giant Anglo American stepped in with a £405m rescue takeover.

Anglo said that just as the project was getting up to speed again, the Covid crisis and subsequent lockdown took hold. This meant that there was an immediate need to reduce the numbers of staff on site and establish new ways of working safely.

Anglo said the ongoing construction of the mine will offer a major economic stimulus to the region, especially once production starts.

It said that while some short term milestones have been affected by Covid-19, the project is on track.

The firm plans to invest around £240m per year for the next two years, focusing on boring the 23 mile-long mineral transport tunnel from Teesside and sinking the shafts at the Woodsmith Mine near Whitby.

Anglo said it is committed to the local community and one of its first actions was to transfer £1m to the Sirius Minerals Foundation.

The foundation is currently in discussions with local authorities and partners to discuss how the cash can best support the post-Covid recovery, having already made an initial £20,000 grant to local charities.

The Woodsmith Project has also given £20,000 to help fund food banks in Redcar and Cleveland and to a meal delivery service for vulnerable people in Whitby during the pandemic.

The firm said the Government has been supportive of construction works continuing if it is safe to do so, and the Woodsmith Project has been keen to set an example of how work can be carried out safely in these challenging times.

It has made important changes to procedures on site and has been following Government guidance to the construction industry as a minimum standard.

Aside from those who can work from home, workers are currently traveling to the site in their own cars rather than by bus.

They are asked to check their temperature before leaving home and thermal imaging cameras conduct a further test when they arrive on site.

It has doubled the number of cleaners on site, enhanced cleaning procedures, installed sanitiser stations widely and provided additional PPE for all site personnel.

Social distancing measures have been put in place, including staggering shifts and break times to avoid any crowding, and additional meeting and seating areas have been provided with minimum two metre spacing.

Where social distancing is not possible, the time people are within close contact is minimised and appropriate safeguards, such as face masks, gloves and respiratory protective equipment, are used.

Mining giant Anglo American said that while these practices make work more difficult, they are currently essential and are fast becoming part of the “new normal” to which all businesses must adapt.

The plan for the mine involves tunnelling under North York Moors National Park to exploit the world’s largest deposit of polyhalite, a multi-nutrient fertiliser.