Mine Safety
Safety in mines has always been a focal point that the media always comes back to – there are articles of unsafe mines and mining accidents from across the globe that appear in newspapers and on television with relative frequency. It would seem, then, that all the safety precautions that are taken may not be working as effectively as they should be – or that the miners themselves become careless under the pressure of increasing deliverables.
In terms of the safety precautions that are taken by the mining companies themselves, although safety has always been a factor, in the last decade it has dominantly come to the fore. The mining industry has been aiming to achieve optimal safety records within their mines – which is highlighted by actions such as the adoption of the ILO “Guidelines for Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems” (ILO-OSH 2001) as the benchmark for management systems on mines.
In spite of this, there is still public outcry at the death of mineworkers. In February of 2005, there was an outcry by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Northern Cape who felt that no one is ever held responsible for the deaths of mineworkers who are dying in accidents on a daily basis. All mine accidents are investigated – but the NUM argue that prosecution there of is often slow due to a shortage of staff to deal with the cases. No mine owner wants to face prosecution, and thus there are precautions that are taken to avoid typical mining accidents, and include those such as these which are included in the Minerals Act, 1991:
· Workers must not be kept waiting underground unnecessarily after their shifts;
· Underground latrines and surface changing rooms must be provided and these must have adequate washing, drying and storage facilities;
· Baths or basins and water must be provided for those employees whose jobs require them to handle corrosive or poisonous substances.
These safety standards are enforced by government inspectors who are entitled to examine any mine and to report on its safety conditions. These inspectors have the power to force the mine owner to implement the safety measures, or close the mine if necessary.
Statistics from the annual report of the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate showed that from a height of 14 major accidents (wherein there were 4 or more deaths) in 1992, a decrease was noted over the ensuing ten years, with three major accidents recorded in 2002. Although the statistics may challenge the outcry that there are miners dying on a daily basis in accidents, any loss of life impacts on both the family of the deceased individual, as well as on the mine and the surrounding socio-economic environment. Many communities rely on the mines for a steady stream of income, and accidents may halt the work within the mine – either through the protestations of the mineworkers themselves, or by the authority of investigating officers. Either way, the mine and the workers will fail to benefit.
Trade Publication Content - Published 2004