Modern Mining October 2023

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The underground mining landscape has changed dramatically in the past 15 to 20 years, and this is even more evident within the mining contracting sector. Large portions of the workforce are now drawn from local communities around a mine or a contract mining project and, in many instances, these individuals have had little to no experience in an operational environment. This brings its own challenges in terms of achieving productivity but doing so safely and mitigating the risks. It is all very well to provide training to ensure these persons are proficient and meet the necessary compliances, but there is another less obvious need. One that is of equal importance. By Nelendhre Moodley . MRTA’s Licence to Supervise programme in high demand

Tony Pretorius, ETD Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation.

T his is according to Tony Pretorius, ETD Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation, who spoke to Modern Mining when we recently visited the Murray & Roberts Training Academy (MRTA) at its Bentley Park facility just out side of Carletonville. He explains that of critical importance is the need to provide a supervisory levels skillset to navigate the changing landscape within the underground mining sector, with the License to Supervise pro gramme, which is exclusive to Murray & Roberts Cementation, being specifically designed to upskill supervisors working within the contracting and min ing environment. “Supervisors are people who come up through the ranks and are appointed to the position because they have either the required technical or practical competence. But they don’t necessarily have the leadership capabilities, which is why mining houses send newly appointed and, even seasoned, supervi sors for training to the MRTA. Our programmes are linked to the specific customised requirements our

clients would like to include within the programme, such as the License to Supervise programme for employees and supervisors and a production super visory programme we developed as a result of the MC mechanised mining specifics. Our programmes are flexible, and scalable, and aligned to industry’s training needs,” explains Pretorius. Licence to supervise programme The Licence to Supervise programme offers a holis tic understanding of how to supervise, with tools to help navigate the myriad challenges that supervisors face on a daily basis. “We provide supervisors with a ‘toolbox’ to handle the areas of leadership they encounter in this highly challenging environment. The programme has three parts – technical, supervisory and neuroscience. As trainers, we put our supervisors in an immersive workplace environment, progressing them through the entire cycle, where we teach them to identify and solve workplace issues.” The MRTA offers a blended learning methodol

Trevor Schultz, Risk Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation.

Murray & Roberts Cementation has invested extensively in its training facility outside Carletonville.

ogy environment of virtual reality (VR) combined with 2D and 3D modelling and simulation, and workplace inte grated learning. The offering has vastly improved from the traditional class room only style of teaching and today combines classroom and workplace environment teaching. “As a leading underground min ing contractor, Murray & Roberts Cementation is committed to zero harm and has thus incorporated an extended reality framework which combines the use of Computer Based Training, 2/3D modelling, VR, simulation and extensive workplace coaching to address all areas of applied competencies to ensure our learners are equipped with the neces sary means to identify and respond to

24  MODERN MINING  October 2023