Modern Quarrying January-February 2015

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Experience needed to up blasting skills

The mining sector has plenty of bright, up and coming pro- fessionals coming through the ranks, but the missing ingredient in the field of blasting is experience, accord- ing to BME technical director Tony Rorke. “The real problem

blasting side in many mining companies.” As an explosives supplier and blasting contractor, BME often finds itself called upon to provide fundamental blast- ing duties that mines have historically assumed as part of their core competence. Rorke says it is important for mines to work collaboratively with blasting spe- cialists from explosives suppliers rather than becoming dependent on advice from international sources who are not as familiar with their operations and not necessarily motivated to improve the expertise of mine personnel on site. Critical input from both sides is vital to ensure that the best quality blasts can be delivered cost effectively. “We have the benefit of dealing regularly with new blasting-related chal- lenges, giving us a great deal of experi- ence in troubleshooting and innovation. However, training by itself will not solve the challenge facing us. The sector really needs to have skilled people in place who will steadily gain experience over a num- ber of years, learning every day from their own activities and the mentoring of oth- ers,” he adds. www.bme.co.za

Tony Rorke, director, blasting technology for BME.

Former Richards Bay Coal Terminal chair- person and Anglo American head for the South African operations, Kuseni Dlamini, has signed a deal with Caldas Engineering and Manufacturing Services, a leader in the supply of re-engineered wear parts for fixed and mobile crushers. The deal will see Dlamini, through his brainchild KDI Holdings, own 35% of the 18-year old Edenvale-based engineering company. “We are very pleased to have signed the deal with Kuseni Dlamini, and we have no doubt that the experience and expertise he will bring to the table will be invaluable to us, as we embark on our journey to take Caldas Engineering to the next level,” says company founder and CEO Rui Caldas. Caldas Engineering currently provides products and services to the quarrying, construction, demolition and recycling industries and is now looking at penetrat- ing the mining industry as part of its strat- egy. The company also intends spreading ing difficult to close because many mine- based blasting technicians and engineers are not spending enough time in the field of blasting technology to become fully proficient. “Often they are moved into other areas of production or management as the operations try to spread the skills available. The result has been a gradual erosion in the depth of experience on the is that we have moved away from the apprenticeship system, and also lost many experts to other mining countries like Australia, so there is now a gap between the younger skills and the older special- ists who are approaching retirement.” He says this experience gap is prov-

Dlamini buys stake in engineering firm

its wings to the rest of the African continent. “I am pleased to be partnering with the long- established world- class engineering and manufactur- ing firm,” Dlamini says. “It is an excit- ing opportunity to be partnering with an organ-

Kuseni Dlamini has partnered with Caldas Engineering in a 35% ownership deal.

isation that has been providing supe- rior products and services to business in South Africa and across the world for almost two decades.” In addition to the head office in Edenvale, Caldas Engineering has offices in Durban and Kimberley with plans to open another branch in Limpopo Province. www.kdi.co.za / www.caldas.co.za

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MODERN QUARRYING

January - February 2015