Modern Mining October 2021

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Photo by Arno van Rensburg on Unsplash

“For example, over 20 fatalities reported last year were as a result of fall of ground, particularly in the gold and platinum mining sectors.” Gravity-induced fall of ground is the main chal- lenge while rock-burst (seismicity) related fatalities seem to have been contained in recent years. Phakathi says there were ten transport related fatalities reported in 2020. Rail-bound equipment related fatalities are another concern whereas track- less and mobile machinery (TMM) related fatalities have been reducing in the last three years. “This shows that industry initiatives aimed at addressing TMM accidents are beginning to yield results. There has also been a spike in ‘miscella- neous’ fatalities involving employees collapsing in the workplace due to factors other than the mining environment. This is a signal that there is a need to focus on wellness issues, especially in the light of the challenges brough about by the COVID-19 pandemic.” COVID-19 He says the impact of COVID-19 on the industry’s regression in terms of safety performance in 2020 cannot be ruled out. “The pandemic has altered the manner in which work was organised at the rock-face. Changes in work schedules and COVID-19 protocols such as social distancing and isolation may have increased absenteeism rates and impacted the quality of front- line supervisions and safety coaching. We are still trying to understand the nature of the impact that COVID-19 may have had on the industry’s safety per- formance.” 

This action plan seeks to ensure that the industry achieves the desired step change in the improve- ment of FOG safety performance. “The plan consists of six pillars focusing on the adoption of leading practices: research and develop- ment; skills development; policy; behaviour; culture and operational discipline, and monitoring and evaluation.” Phakathi says the Fall of Ground Action Plan is available on the Minerals Council website. Transport related fatalities are also a cause for concern despite the reduction in these in the last three years. “To this end, the Minerals Council has invested over R20-million over three years, through a holistic, risk-phased action plan towards the implementation of the trackless mobile machinery (TMM) regulations. Key challenges He says fall of ground, transport and ‘general types’ of accident such as slip and fall and materials han- dling incidents are major causes of fatalities.

Industry initiatives aimed at addressing TMM accidents are beginning to yield results.

Key Takeaways  In the past 27 years, the industry tripartite stakeholders have cooperated to reduce the number of fatalities from 615 in 1993 to 51 in 2019  In 2009, the Minerals Council established the MOSH Learning Hub to facili- tate the adoption of leading practices to prevent FOG and transport related accidents  Fall of ground, transport and ‘general types’ of accident such as slip and fall and materials handling incidents are major causes of fatalities  The impact of COVID-19 on the industry’s regression in terms of safety performance in 2020 cannot be ruled out

22  MODERN MINING  October 2021