Ms. M. Hermanus

1

• Occupational Health (OHS) and Safety at Mines
  and
• Activities of the Inspectorate
• 2004-05

Ms. M. Hermanus Chief Inspector of
Mines Department of Minerals and Energy South
Africa
2
Discussion Topics

• Introduction
• Key developments in the Sector
• OHS performance of the Sector
• MHSI profile
• MHSI Strategic Objectives/Plan
• MHSI activities
• Challenges
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

3
Introduction

• MHSA requires CIOM to prepare an Annual Report
  on
• The state of health and safety at mines
• Activities of the Inspectorate
• The report focuses on
• Sectors OHS Performance
• MHSIs performance against stratplan targets
• Employers responsible for OHS at mines
• MHSI enforce, oversee and promote

4
Key developments

• Industry Structure
• Large corporations dominate (support performance
  rather than prescriptive standards)
• Junior, small and artisanal mining emerging (need
  more guidance)
• Older gold mines owners not well resourced
• Mining Operations
• U/G mines (approaching 4km, deepest in the world)
• Open cast/pit
• Off-shore mining

5
The Minerals Industry (cont.)

• Structural changes affecting MHSI
• Inter-mining / district level risks emerging
  e.g. water and seismicity
• Growing mechanisation of platinum mines
• Capacity of mature mines to maintain OHS systems
• Capacity of small mines to operate safely
• Administrative workload more than doubled
• Employees estimated (2004) 440 000
• JSE market capitalisation 30
• Effect of HIV and AIDs
• Integration of OHS agencies

6
OHS Performance

• Occupational health
• Data collection and analysis a concern
• Control at source a major challenge
• Best practice / benchmark info starting to emerge
• More visible committments to addressing health
• Occupational Safety
• Fatality rates improving steadily but not fast
  enough
• Injury data available for serious accidents (gt14
  days)
• Databases to capture all accident data still
  awaited

7
Safety Performance
8
(No Transcript)
9
Performance Comparison per Major
Commodity-Fatalities
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Performance Comparison per Major
Commodity-Injuries
13
Silica Exposure
14
Exposure Data
15
Compensation Trends Respiratory Diseases
16
Compensation Trends - Noise
17
The Regulator The MHSI

• Legislative Mandate (MHSA)
• Regulate health and safety in the minerals sector
• Promote health and safety at mines
• Safeguard the health and safety of employees and
  communities affected by mining
• Profile
• Posts 315 Vacancies 42
• Demographics
• Male 199
• Female 74
• Whites 124
• Africans 137
• Coloured 9
• Indians 3

18
MHSI Strategic Objectives

• To reduce injuries and ill health
• Develop Policy and Legislation for effective
  regulation of the sector
• Provide advice and systems that monitor
  compliance
• To improve access to information
• Support Crosscutting initiatives-SMME, HIV
  andAIDS, etc.

19
Activity Report Policy etc

• Policy, Legislation and Management
• Development of policy and legislation
• 875 from 922 projects finalised-95
• mainly mine equipment legislation outstanding
• Key policy issue registration and licences to
  practice
• Internal Guidelines for MHSI in development
• Improving the MHSI capacity and operations
• Restructuring implementation plan rolling out
• Operational improvements underway
• Information Management
• Current databases maintained, improvements depend
  of IT inputs
• Reports made available on www.

20
Activities Regional Operations

• Regional Offices
• Audits- 3 311 conducted v/s 4190 planned 1
  shortfall from the 80 target
• Inspections-11 380 conducted v/s 12 980 planned
  8 above the 80 target
• Investigations-78 completed on time
• Inquiries-83 completed on time
• Statutory Notices
• Halt operations (Sect.54)-3 900
• Order compliance to HS reqts(Sect.55)-1 731
• Shafts Stopped-60
• Working places stopped-407
• Vacancies, turnover and capacity are key issues

21
Inspections and Audits

• Major Issues
• Inspections
• Support on geological features
• Support installation quality
• Guarding of moving machinery nip points
• Track maintanance
• Lock-out of machinery and electrical gearr
• Audits
• Checklists and logbooks not used appropriately
• Poor communication
• Inadequate control of records and documents

22
Major Inquiries

• Major Inquires conducted/started
• DRD
• Hernic
• Driefonein Inquiry to be concluded
• Harmony
• Northam Platinum- Joint inquest/ inquiry
  commenced

23
Major Inquiries

• Key outcomes
• DRD
• Escape routes not available and/ or inaccessible
• Access way excessively long
• Failure to effectively manage and equip mine
• Inadequate staffing
• Failure to identify hazards and risks and to
  respond
• Harmony
• Excessive stoping widths
• Poor and/ or lack of communication with workers
• Inadequate support

24
Major Inquiries

• Key challenges
• Inquiries make heavy demands on resources
• Inspectors face top legal experts
• Very formal and time-consuming
• Capacity to preside over major inquiries

25
Conclusion

• With cooperation and support of all stakeholders,
  the ideal of a better quality of life for mine
  workers and communities affected by mining is
  attainable