Coert Coetzee

Results-driven Safety, Health, Environmental, and Risk (SHER) professional and Senior Environmental Officer with a BSc Honours in Environmental Geology and extensive operational experience within deep-level underground and open-pit mining operations. Proven track record in providing strategic leadership and oversight for day-to-day on-mine Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in compliance with ISO 14001 standards, regulatory water use licences, and environmental permits. Fully certified and active Mine Rescue Team Member (Proto Member), deeply committed to driving a culture of Visible Felt Leadership (VFL) and Zero Harm.

Technical expert in Isometrix deployment, incident investigation, environmental field sampling, and risk mitigation planning, utilizing a strong foundational background in geology to bridge the gap between scientific data and operational environmental management.

Senior Environmental Officer - De Beers Group - Venetia Diamond Mine

(2024-03)

• Generated comprehensive Aspects and Impacts identification reports, providing insights into the environmental effects of mining activities.
• Conducted continuous review of sectional Aspects Registers, tracking progress on high-risk objectives and targets to maintain regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated a commitment to internal auditing by generating 100% of required audit reports and efficiently uploading them onto Isometrix.
• Compiled weekly statistics and dashboards for reporting, contributing to transparent environmental performance evaluation.
• Recorded incidents in Isometrix to maintain accurate records of environmental events and response measures.
• Facilitated incident investigations, promptly generating incident investigation reports, and recommended improvements to prevent recurrence.
• Monitored the implementation of corrective actions and assessed incident data for trends, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Prepared and delivered monthly environmental talk topics, promoting awareness and sustainability practices among employees.
• Coordinated change management documentation to facilitate smooth transitions in environmental processes and practices.
• Emergency Response & Mine Rescue: Actively serve as a PROTO Team Member for Mine Rescue Services, undergoing rigorous continuous training to execute surface and underground rescue, fire suppression, and hazardous material containment operations.

Environmental Officer - De Beers Group - Venetia Diamond Mine

(2022-06 - 2024-03)

• Compliance Inspections: Executed detailed field inspections for license and permit compliance, implementing short-term rectification plans for identified gaps.
• Environmental Impact Assessments: Provided key data inputs, baseline information, and field observations to support Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for new mine expansions.
• Workforce Training: Developed and facilitated monthly environmental awareness topics, empowering operational teams to flag hazards and maintain clean production targets.

Environmental Intern - Shangoni Management Services - Pretoria

(2022-01 - 2022-06)

• Regulatory Reporting: Assisted senior consultants with field auditing and compiled drafts for regulatory compliance reports across mining and industrial clients.
• Sampling Protocols: Performed surface water, groundwater, and soil sampling strictly adhering to environmental quality guidelines and preservation standards.

Honours - Environmental Geology - North-West University (2022-01 - 2022-12)

Bachelor of Science - Geology and Botany - North-West University (2018-01 - 2020-12)