South Africa’s Chamber of Mines (CoM) says it is currently in discussions with labour and government about a research and development (R&D) centre of excellence, which will hopefully be launched in September, during a Mine Health and Safety Council summit.

In 2008, the CoM, government and labour decided that the establishment of a centre was necessary to achieve the international benchmarks by the 2013 target set by the tripartite stakeholders in 2003.

CoM safety and sustainable development adviser Sietse van der Woude says: “The R&D centre of excellence aims to strengthen the quality of safety measures and research undertaken in the mining industry.”

The centre will be established through the Mine Health and Safety Council. The site will not involve the building of a new institution but rather the use of an existing institution.

“The centre will provide a platform to source new measures to improve the standard of safety in the mining industry in South Africa, develop research capacity and assist in the dissemination of research data,” Van der Woude tells Mining Weekly.

He adds that considerable R&D will also be required to develop new technologies that are viable in the narrow-reef, hard-rock conditions encountered in gold mines.

“In the past, the implementation of research findings by the mining industry has been a challenge. Research was undertaken by independent industry organisations and, in some cases, mining houses were not satisfied with the [research] outcomes. Issues, such as the quality of the research data and research methodology, were raised. We believe the R&D centre will have more leverage because it is focused on the mining industry,” he says.

Focus on Training

There is a need to move away from the traditional way of safety training and develop advanced safety training methods, says Van der Woude.

The CoM together with other stakeholders are exploring new technologies and other safety training innovations, such as the use of computer-based simulation of the environment in which mine employees will work.

This year, the focus is on a project to develop training methods for illiterate and semiliterate workers.

He also emphasises the need for a change in the culture of health and safety in mining, as issues such as blame, racism and a command- and-control legacy continue to threaten the industry.

Safety Statistics

For the first quarter of 2011, and including the first week of April, there were 44 fatalities in the mining industry, compared with 33 in the corresponding period for 2010.

“This is worrying and the CoM is in urgent discussion with labour unions and government about how best to tackle this situation,” Van Der Woude tells Mining Weekly.

The CoM is also planning the second CEO round table, which will debate the current health and safety challenges. The first CEO round table was held in 2008.

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