Extract from the Hon. Minister of Minerals & Energy at the 5th Mine Health and Safety Council Summit. 5 October 2007.

* I am concerned that after 10 years of the MHSA there still seems to be different interpretations of what constitutes a risk assessment, this is often evidenced through generic codes of practice that span an entire mining group rather than being specific to a mine or working place
* we are also finding that in some cases risk assessments are done with a pre-determined outcome e.g. when costly control measures would be required, risk assessments are tailored to show that such measures are not required
* I am concerned about the shortage of skills in all disciplines required to ensure the health and safety of our mine workers
* despite the Mini-Indaba on Seismicity and rockburst being held on 7 of September 2007, I am concerned that we are still continuing to have accidents through this agency that claims the lives or our miners, the 4 fatalities at the Mponeng mine of 28 of September 2007 re-iterates my need for urgent action
* I would like to challenge the mining industry to ensure that relevant research results from Safety In Mines Research Advisory Committee (Simrac) other local or international research agencies and outcomes of investigations and inquiries are assessed and implemented without delay to ensure that the mineworkers reap the benefit of a healthier and safer working environment
* the outcomes of the Mini-Indaba on Seismicity and Rockbursts held on 7 September 2007 and the challenges presented there by myself are actioned without delay....

Click here for full speech.

Decrease in mining fatalities. Busrep. 'Twelve mine workers had died in January during work accidents compared with 16 in January last year. The department of minerals and energy yesterday said there were 187 mine deaths in the year to January, compared with 206 fatalities in the twelve months to 2005. There were six deaths at gold mines, three fatalities at platinum mines, and one mine death each at coal, iron ore and chrome mines'.

Investigation in the Kleinkoppie, AngloCoal, Mine disaster, Mpumalanga Region. 11 October 2006. The light duty vehicle in which they were travelling was struck by a load haul truck. The mine's emergency response unit was immediately send to the accident scene to commence with rescue operations. Mr David Msiza, Principal Inspector, was notified of the accident and he together with the DME Inspectorate Branch team was at the accident scene conducting an inspection in loco. The investigation is being conducted to determine the sub-standard acts/conditions and intermediate personal/job factors involved in this accident. Prudently both vehicles are to be examined by an external expert to identify any sub-standard safety features and to ascertain the operational condition pertaining to the brakes, steering, and general state of the vehicles mechanics. The Principal Inspector has called for the maintenance schedules, training records of both drivers, operational procedures, applicable mine standards, risk assessment documents. It has been highlighted that engineering/machinery related accidents are increasing and interventions are being implemented to address concerns. The Honourable Minister of Mineral and Energy, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica, is most concerned by the totally unacceptable number of miners that are dying at South African Mines. In 2003 the mining industry through the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) and its alliance partners, which include employers, labour and the state, set a goal of improving mine related injuries by 20 percent per annum. It is clear from current trends that the goal set is not being achieved and in all probability will be a further deterioration last year's poor performance. It is with deep regret that Ms Buyelwa Sonjica, Honourable Minister of Minerals and Energy has received news of the tragic accident and wishes to express her sincerest sympathy with the next of kin and loved ones of the three deceased miners.

Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy, Ms Lulu Xingwana, Budget Vote speech to the National Council of Provinces.

'I will start then with mine health and safety. The mining industry’s safety performance continues to improve. In the 10 years of the existence of the Mine Health and Safety Act, we are starting to see the positive impact of the implementation of the Act. The department has recorded a significant decrease in terms of fatalities in all mines. In 1995, the fatality’s rate stood at 533 with injuries standing at 7 717. I am pleased to announce that by the end of 2005, our fatality rate had decreased to 202 and the injury’s rate to 3 961. The mine health and safety inspectorate has also embarked on a national strategy to eliminate silicoses and noise hearing loss or occupational deafness by 2013. These efforts will help reduce the social course of diseases and injuries particularly to vulnerable communities. Overall, the 2005 rate was the lowest recorded in the history of South African mining. Every one concerned would agree with me that there is room for improvement; one death is one too many. A lot more work needs to be done for us to reach parity with international rates by 2013 as agreed at the mine health and safety summit held in 2003'.

Risks posed by seismic events in gold mining districts: study findings. 30 May 2006.

A team of local and international experts was appointed by the Department of Minerals and Energy to investigate the risks to miners, mines and the public posed by seismic events in gold mining districts, following a large tremor that caused damage to buildings and injuries to people in the town of Stilfontein in March 2005. The investigation, led by Dr Ray Durrheim from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has been completed and the report is now ready for release. The media is invited to a press conference on the matter on:

Date: Monday, 5 June 2006
Venue: DME offices (Boardroom 8B) 234 Mineralia Centre, Cnr Andries and Visagie Street
Time: 12h00

A hard copy of the document will be distributed to the media at the end of the press conference.

May Hermanus joins centre for sustainability at Wits. Mining News of 20 April 2006. 'After five years as South Africa’s chief inspector of mines, May Hermanus quit the position and has joined the Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry (CSMI) at the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits’) School of Mining Engineering. Hermanus replaces Dr Daniel Limpitlaw, who resigned earlier this year as the director of the centre to run his own consultancy. The Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) has not yet appointed Hermanus’s replacement. However, DME chief director of mine health, safety and survey Nate Mojapelo has been appointed as the acting chief inspector of mines. Hermanus started in her new position as CSMI director on April 1. Her experience in overseeing health and safety standards in South Africa’s mining industry will serve her well, as the CSMI provides education and training in the fields of safety, health, environment and community-impact management (Shec). The centre presents specialist colloquia, focused short courses and academic courses on Shec. In the past, Hermanus expressed her belief that the industry could do much more to improve health and safety in the mining industry. The CSMI is an industry initiative and is funded by BHP Billiton, Lonmin and AngloGold Ashanti. The companies formed a partnership with the Wits School of Mining Engineering to establish the centre. Hermanus has a bachelor’s degree in geology and a master’s degree in physical metallurgy from Wits University. Before joining the DME, she worked for the National Union of Mineworkers and ferroalloys group Samancor'.

Minister of Minerals and Energy disturbed by mine accident. 24 March 2006

The Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mrs Lindiwe Hendricks, has expressed her concern about the fire that broke at shaft seven of the Hartebeesfontein mine in Stilfontein on Wednesday night. Speaking from Addis Ababa, where she is attending the African Union (AU) First Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Electrical Energy, Minister Hendricks said “I am deeply disturbed by what has occurred at the mine and hope that safety standards were not compromised by the mine management. I am, however, relieved that the miners were all rescued and would like to offer our gratitude to the rescue team for their selflessness and perseverance.” An in loco inspection will be conducted as soon as it is safe to do so and will be followed by an investigation, which will be led by the Department of Minerals and Energy. “We will ensure that an investigation is concluded speedily, so that we can get to the bottom of this accident and should it be established that the lives of mineworkers were wilfully endangered, we will ensure that the responsible parties are brought to book,” said the Minister. The Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy Lulu Xingwana and Director-General Sandile Nogxina will visit the mine on Friday to visit the affected workers and get a briefing on the accident.

Mine management to account for trapped miners. SABC of 24 March 2004. 'Lulu Xingwana, the deputy minister for mineral and energy affairs, is meeting management of Simmer and Jack Operations in Stilfontein in North-West, following yesterday's underground fire. Eleven miners were trapped last night after a fire broke out underground. Two miners were rescued earlier. Nine workers were rescued after being trapped for more than 20 hours by a fire in a shaft over two kilometers underground. Union officials are also taking part in the meeting. Mine management says an electrical fault could have started the fire in shaft seven, trapping about 136 miners around 11am. The crew that were on duty then, tried to extinguish the blaze, but failed. Nine miners were treated for smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for observation.

Government plans in-depth probe of mines. Busrep. 'A team of Department of Minerals and Energy experts are to probe the danger mines pose to those who work in them - and the public at large. "The panel will consider the risks to mineworkers, mines and the public by seismicity in mining areas, with particular emphasis on gold mines, remnant mining, pillar mining and mining districts in which mines are largely mined out and in the process of being flooded," the department said on Tuesday. The team was appointed by the chief inspector of mines in terms of Section 60 of the Mine Health and Safety Act and will be led by Dr Ray Durrheim of Miningtek. He will be supported by a number of experts who will serve as assessors, as well as mine inspectors from the Pretoria, Gauteng, North West and Free State offices of the Mine Inspectorate. The experts on the team include Ms S Ebrahim-Trollope of GeoHydroSeis; Mr D Ortlepp of SRK; Dr A McGarr of the United States Geological Survey; Dr A Kijko of Council for Geoscience; and Prof N van der Merwe from Pretoria University. The team will provide clarity on a number of issues, including:

  The risk to the public of large seismic events in mining districts and the implications for infrastructure planning and disaster management;

  whether the March earthquake at DRDGold's North West Operations can be ascribed to mining in general;

  the probabilities of repeat occurrences in the same or other mining districts, especially where the mines are mature and large areas are mined out;

  the effects of flooding and the corresponding rising water levels on the stability of faults and other geological features; and,

  whether the placement of slimes and other mining discards underground can alleviate the situation.

It is estimated that the investigation could take up to six months. Some results may be in by December, the department added'.

Northam Platinum Mine explosion. 24 February 2006.

On 20 February 2006 at about 14:00, three mineworkers were fatally injured in a raise underground. When the explosion occurred the workers were in the process of charging drill holes with explosives. An inspector from the North West regional office conducted an inspection of the scene on 21 February 2006 and an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the accident is scheduled to take place during March 2006. Steps have been taken to contact the victims’ next of kin. The Minister of Minerals and Energy expresses her deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of miners who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident.

May Hermanus, Chief Inspector of Mines says fatal accidents at mines has dropped from 285 deaths five years ago to 246 deaths last year. She feels it is still unacceptably high. SABC2 Morning Live 19 September 2005.

Best safety year, but..... . Mining News of 29 June 2005. 'Last year, the South African mining industry achieved the best safety performance in its history. Chamber of Mines safety and sustainable development adviser Sietse van der Woude says that the improved management of major risks in the gold- and coal-mining industries has been the key performance driver in the marked progress made in enhancing safety since 1994. In the last ten years, safety in the mining industry improved by 46%, with the fatality frequency rate per million hours worked declining from 0,43 in 1994 to 0,25 in 2004. In this time, the number of fatalities in serious incidents – defined as ‘falls of ground’ and rockbursts, transport-related accidents and explosions – as well as the number of incidents in which more than four fatalities occurred, declined. Of the commodities mined, gold had the best improvement rate. In the last ten years, the gold-mining industry continually improved and stepped up its safety performance by 52%. Safety performance in the coal-mining industry was enhanced by 21% and by 19% in the platinum-mining industry, while it was variable in the diamond sector, which improved by only 6%' Full text..

Safety and health now engineering challenge - mines inspector. Mining News of 9 June 2005. ' The challenge in the next eight years to reduce occupational health and safety incidents in mines is mainly an engineering challenge, said Department of Minerals and Energy chief inspector of mines May Hermanus. She was speaking at a mine health and safety conference held yesterday in Midrand. Hermanus presented new statistics on noise pollution that, although startling, did not surprise the delegates. The information, some of the first of its kind available based on received information from major mining houses, is incomplete conceded Hermanus. She called on all miners to assist in providing information on occupational health and safety so that best practice models can be developed further. Full text

Safety and health now engineering challenge - mines inspector. Mining News. ' The challenge in the next eight years to reduce occupational health and safety incidents in mines is mainly an engineering challenge, said Department of Minerals and Energy chief inspector of mines May Hermanus. She was speaking at a mine health and safety conference held yesterday in Midrand. Hermanus presented new statistics on noise pollution that, although startling, did not surprise the delegates. The information, some of the first of its kind available based on received information from major mining houses, is incomplete conceded Hermanus. She called on all miners to assist in providing information on occupational health and safety so that best practice models can be developed further. Information is split into three categories, the first being above 105 dB. In this category, some 3,2% of all miners had been subject to these levels of noise. Some 85,9% of minerworkers are subject to noise of between 85 dB and 105 dB while 10,9% of all miners are subject to noise of between 85 dB and 82 dB. In the second category, between 85 dB and 105 dB, the gold sector fared the worst. In this sector, 89% of all miners were exposed, in platinum this percentage drops to 87. Coal fares worse than other mines at 73,9%, while the other mines come in at 68,9%. Last year compensation for loss of hearing as a result of noise pollution was R77-million, points out Hermanus. What is urgently required is a programme to eliminate noise at its source - placing the burden on equipment suppliers. Government has already set several milestones to improve the health of those toiling underground. By 2008, there must be no more than a 10% deterioration of miners working underground. By 2013, the total noise emitted by installed equipment at any location cannot be above 110 dB. This, she said, is a sign that major engineering challenges are ahead of South African mines. But these challenges are expected to spill over into other sectors such as manufacturing as well. Noise is not as topical as the issue of silicosis and Hermanus highlighted government's targets to eliminate the disease. By 2008, 95% of all exposure measurements at the source of exposure to respirable crystalline silica must be 0,1 mg/m3 on an individual basis. By 2013 there may not be any new cases among previously unexposed individuals using diagnostic tools currently available. This, concedes Hermanus, is a “tall order”. Information on this disease is limited and gleaned mostly from compensation data, which is not complete. Also, most information is out of date due to the lingering nature of the illness. But once information on exposure becomes more readily available, the department will be able to intervene, assist and enforce health standards. In airborne pollutants, the percentage of people overexposed per commodity is highest in gold, platinum and coal. In coal and gold, airborne pollution is mainly silicosis, where focus must shift. Hermanus believes that available data is understated, as the denominator is the number of people employed in an area, not the number of those exposed. But accurate data will improve with time. In the coal sector, the rate of infection is at 10%, while this figure is 5% in the gold and platinum sectors. Compensation per lung disease saw R38-million being paid out to victims of silicosis last year - by far the largest cause. Autopsy data, at best an unreliable method of determining statistics, indicates that there are just over 200 tuberculosis sufferers for every 1 000 miners. A known correlation between these two exists and there has been a step rise in the TB rate since 1975 - lately aggravated by HIV/Aids. Figures available indicate that the rate of silicosis has remained unchanged at 17,2% since 1975. In gold-mines, it has a prevalence rate of 22,1%. This figure drops to 7,3% in coal-mines and 4,4% in platinum-mines. Exposure to silica increases a miner's chances of contracting TB by four times. And international studies indicate that silica is a cancer-causing dust as some people have contracted cancer, not silicosis. In the overwhelming face of all this evidence, mines will have a hard time arguing that TB is not an occupational health disease. identified, exposure measured and controls installed at the source. As part of the larger target programmes she expects companies to have in place, staff must be educated and proper personal protection equipment must be made available'.

Click here for may Hermanus's Speech at NOSHCON in 2004.

Click here for the Chief Inspector of Mines Annual Report 2004. Unlike the OHS Act which places no such obligation upon the Chief Inspector to report on its Inspection & Enforcement Services' activities, Section 49(1)(j) of the MHS Act requires the Chief Inspector Of Mines to complete a report on health and safety at mines and activities of the Mine health and Safety Inspectorate (MHSI).

Click here for Department Mineral & Energy (DME) Annual Report 2002 to 2003.

3 000 accidents were investigated but the Report does not distinguish between section 60 Investigations and section 65 Formal Inquiries. (MHS Act).

Guideline for Enforcement of the Mine Health and Safety Act.

This guideline document has been developed for use by the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate (hereafter referred to as 'the Inspectorate') and will be reviewed from time to time, to incorporate new developments where appropriate. The guidelines are intended to assist the Inspectorate in achieving a clear and consistent approach to the enforcement of the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1996 (hereafter referred to as 'the Act'). The Act introduced the concepts of risk assessment and occupational health and safety (OHS) management systems in the mining industry and this in turn, increased inconsistencies in interpreting the Inspectorate's enforcement responsibilities, both within and between the various regional offices. Please make full use of this document, which is the result of much hard work and which represents the current collective wisdom of the Inspectorate. More

MHS Act : Flow Chart 'How to Assess Risk levels and decide on Action'.

DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY TO INVESTIGATE THE CALTEX OIL SPILL 9 July 2004

The Minister of Minerals and Energy, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and Councillor Saleem Mowzer of the Cape Town Municipality visited the Caltex refinery in Cape Town on Tuesday, 6 July 2004, to gather facts on the oil spill that occurred there on Sunday, 4 July 2004. During the visit, the Minister also met with Caltex management and indicated that the department will be monitoring the correctional actions taken by the company following the incident. "A team from the department will go back to Caltex to engage with the management on all aspects of infrastructure development and maintenance programme to ensure that it is adequate for compliance with pollution and safety standards as per the South African requirements and in line with international benchmarks. The department also wants assurance that such an incident does not occur again," said the Minister.
The Minister encouraged Caltex to maintain close liaison with the residents of Table View and Parklands and affected parties until all the complaints have been attended to. The Minister welcomed the proactive approach taken by Caltex in dealing with the residents.

Doesn't the refinery fall with DoL's (OHS Act) jurisdiction?

Click here for Mine Health & safety Inspectorate Annual Report 2001 to 2002.

'The rock-around-the-clock debate continues to rage . Mining News of 22 March 2004. 'Continuous operations (conops) have long been a subject of debate in South Africa. By law, mines are prohibited from carrying out work on Sundays, which means that any mine that wants to run continuous operations has to get ministerial approval from the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME). When the Minerals Act was promulgated in 1991, the old Mines and Works Act was repealed, except for Section 9 of the Act, which prohibits Sunday work'. More....

Full text of The Hon. Minister of Minerals & Energy Budget speech of 15 May 2003.

"We commissioned a Mine Health and Safety (MHS) Review focusing on implementation of the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1996 and subsequent Regulations, identifying gaps and required actions."

"The industry’s performance for 2002, the fatality rate was 0.74 and reportable injuries was 11.5 per 1000 employees. This was only slightly better than that of 2001 for which the corresponding fatality and injury rates are 0.78 and 12, 34. Against a backdrop of expansion in the gold, platinum and small mining areas, and particularly serious capacity problems in the platinum and small mining sector, these results reflect considerable effort on the part of the Inspectorate and certain industry stakeholders to halt deterioration in safety performance. In May 2002, 50 per cent deterioration in accidents rates was anticipated if poor performance could not be curbed. The inspectorate was compelled to take tough action, stopping work at shafts and in individual workplaces.   The Reviewers observed that the major reason for the overall improvement of the occupational safety results for the mining sector, is the contraction of the gold mining sector. Furthermore, the reviewers concluded that gold and platinum mines, particularly the former, should implement more stringent measures to protect the health and safety of employees, given the high level of risk associated with them. We intend to use the results of the review to take these steps to address the gaps in policy and implementation. This will include the following:

• Formalizing training and induction for all staff in the Inspectorate

• Standardizing enforcement policy,

• Seeking more stringent commitments from the gold and platinum sector on Heath and Safety Standards,

• Revising our approach to the tripartite system and

• Focusing on the elimination of heath hazards amongst other things."

Full text of Deputy Minister of Mineral & Energy speech.

HIV/Aids Mining Summit - Declaration Of Intent. Final Version - 30 April 2003.