Test Feb 2021

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT POTLIGHT ON BRICKMAKING FACE TO FACE WITH ASPASA

unless the matter needs immediate attention in which case it needs to be addressed promptly.” Giving an example, Pienaar says some- thing as seemingly insignificant as faded warning signs may be reported at the end of a shift, but these should be reported to the relevant supervisor timeously to avoid risks, “or when danger is imminent such as a missing guardrail on an exposed con- veyor or piece of equipment. “These immediate actions should be reported and recorded as per the opera- tion’s protocols and may further require reporting via safety representatives. Whatever the case is, it is the individual’s responsibility to familiarise themselves with these procedures and to act quickly and appropriately to prevent any risks on site.” Aspasa audits For many years, Aspasa has been running its own audits for member companies, and being a member means that the company has to undergo these audits. The audits are conducted by independent

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Blasting assistant training

• All persons, other than those exam- ining and making safe, are removed from such unsafe area. • No persons are permitted to return thereto until declared safe by a com- petent person. • A competent person must declare a workplace safe before any work can be done and also when the work area changes. Pienaar says the course was well attended and plans are to run this again in the future. Prisma is a specialist training ser- vice provider to the mining sector. The company was established in 2007 and has trained over 40 000 learners in underground and opencast in min- ing, team development and supervisor development. It is accredited for full qualifications, skills programmes andmore than 400 Unit Standards with the Mining Qualification Authority (16/MQA/0489/AC4/210814) and is Alpha ISO 9001:2008 certified. Prisma’s aim is to build and main- tain lasting relationships by consistently delivering customised and sustainable education, training, and organisational development solutions that are accred- ited and embody best practice. This ensures that its customers are able to real- ise a return on investment with increased productivity and efficiency through qual- ified trained individuals and teams, while operating within the most competent and safe environment. Prisma is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Workforce Holdings Limited and works closely with sister company Training Force, to bring training solutions to all industry sectors across South Africa and abroad. Prisma Training Solutions’ training director Jacques Farmer has some15 years’ experience in HRD and OD in both the private and public sectors. He is a human resource development pract i t ioner, organisational development specialist within various private sectors (Prisma Training Solutions, Audit Campus, Anglo American, South 32, Tharisa Minerals, and Aspasa). He is also an external lecturer at the NWU. “Having industry special ists l ike Jacques is what adds invaluable benefits to the courses we provide,” Pienaar says. He cites some of the Prisma courses as:

Plan, organise, lead and control activ- ities in the mining operations process

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First Aid Level 1

Demonstrate knowledge pertaining to fires in a workplace

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SHE representative

Operator skills programme

Collect, store and issue explosives from a surface magazine

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Legal liability

Incident cause analysis method

• Roles and responsibilities of a pro- duct ion super vi sor in a mining environment • Competent A training • Coaching • Outcomes-based assessments “Safety must be a top priority, especially where large equipment is used or work conducted at heights or where ground falls may occur. We believe that surface mining ticks all these boxes when it comes to working in a dangerous envi- ronment,” he tells MQ. “This has led to comprehensive legislation being put into place to protect miners in these con-

ditions. Yet, despite the gov- ernment and companies’ best efforts to manage safety risks, the onus still falls largely on individuals to raise the alarm whenever a potential hazard is encountered.” Aspasa is therefore encour- aging workers, contractors and mining stakeholders to make safety a priority and to raise the alarm whenever poten- tial risks are observed. Pienaar believes that many preventable accidents can be avoided in this manner leading to further improved safety in this area. “Whatever the risk, no mat- ter how large or small, it is the individual ’s responsibility to report risks to a supervisor or the responsible person in the case of a visitor or contractor. This should be done according to a site’s specific protocols,

Quarries should lead by example by adopting strict management policies relating to environment, and health and safety (Dale Kelly).

17

MODERN QUARRYING

Quarter 2 / 2018