Audit shows ‘gaps’ in SA mine safety standards – Minister

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s Minister of Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, on Monday released the long-awaited national Mine Safety Audit, which was ordered by past President Thabo Mbeki, to investigate compliance with safety regulations in mines across all sectors.

The average compliance across all sectors was found to be at 66%, with some sectors performing better than others.

Gold mining operations scored an overall 70%, as did the coal sector. Platinum mines were found to be 67% compliant, followed by diamond mining with an average 66%, and ‘other’ sectors with an average of 60% compliance.

“These audits have indicated that there are a lot of gaps in the safety standards in the mining industry. We are, therefore, calling on all stakeholders involved in this sector to take the findings and recommendations of the report very seriously,” Sonjica said.

She stated that the low-hanging fruit recognised, which took top priority in the recommendations, were the issues of maintenance of mining infrastructure, and training of mineworkers.

The audit focused on certain areas within mine health and safety, and these were: mine design; statutory reports; legal appointments; safety risk management; occupational health and safety (H&S) policy; health risk management; codes of practice; occupational H&S training; H&S representatives and committees; mine explosives control; mine water management; and public H&S.

The four critical issues that were said to stand out with particularly undesireable results. Firstly, mine design, which scored an average 70%, and required interventions with regard to safer shaft installation, communication systems, backup power, and secondary outlets.

Secondly, and thirdly, health risk management, which scored an average 56%, and safety risk management, which scored a 68% average, and required improved risk assessment, and implementing controls.

The fourth area of particular concern was that of H&S training, which scored an average 66%. Training of H&S representatives was a particular problem area, and needed better training of managers in occupational H&S, as well as inspectors, and OHS representatives.

The Minister said that there were comprehensive recommendations in the report that addressed all established structures responsible for mine health and safety – including the Mine Health and Safety Council, Mining companies, labour organisations, government departments, and the Mining Qualifications Authority. The report was not made available to journalists.

Ministerial spokesperson Sputnik Ratau told Mining Weekly Online that stakeholders would have about two weeks to go over the audit in greater detail, where after another multi-stakeholder meeting would be held. Stakeholders should make plans as to how they could implement the recommendations made in the report.

The audit recognised the severity of mine health and safety issues in mines, and would inform the agenda going forward, in trying to stop the significant number of deaths taking place in the South African mining industry.

Mbeki ordered the safety audit in 2007, after 3 200 workers were trapped underground at Harmony Gold’s Elandsrand mine.

There were 168 fatalities in the mining industry in 2008, and this compared with 220 in 2007. The Minister urged all stakeholders to build on this 24% improvement in safety statistics, which set a new benchmark for the mining industry.

The South African Chamber of Mines welcomed the report and said it would respond to the recommendations therein, once it has had the opportunity to study the report in greater detail. The Chamber added that the release of the Presidential Audit was an opportune time to focus on compliance within the mining industry.

“The Chamber calls on all stakeholders to thoroughly consider the findings and recommendations of this report and to work together towards preventative action and compliance, rather than allocating blame or introducing new punitive measures at a time when safety is significantly improving,” it said in a statement.

Further, the Chamber added that this should be done under the auspices of the Mine Health and Safety Council. “It is only by jointly addressing compliance issues that there will be a continuation and, more importantly, an acceleration of the trend toward safety improvement in mining.”

Trade union Solidarity also welcomed the release of the report and asked for speedy implementation of the recommendations. “Despite the improvement in the fatality rate in the mining industry over the past year, the industry’s compliance figure for safety is only at 66%. Accordingly, there is still a lot of room for improvement,” added Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans.