JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Production at gold major Gold Fields’ Driefontein mine, near Carletonville, resumed on Tuesday afternoon, following the death of two workers on Saturday morning.

Five employees were trapped underground at the No 5 shaft of the mine after a seismic event, measuring 3,5 on the Richter scale, occurred, causing a hanging wall failure.

Three of the workers had been rescued in an operation involving about 200 rescue workers and were recovering in hospital. Two of the employees had died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.

An initial on-site investigation by mine management and the safety inspectorate has since been concluded.

Gold Fields CEO Nick Holland reiterated in a statement on Tuesday that the company would not mine if it could not mine safely. “We remain focused on eliminating all serious accidents at our mines,” he commented.

Gold companies and other mining firms have, once again, been criticised by trade unions for their poor safety record, following the incident.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), of which the National Union of Mineworkers was an affiliate, on Monday, said that it was not convinced that management or the safety inspectorate were doing enough to reduce the level of mining accidents in South Africa.

About 80 workers have already died in South African mines so far this year, which was nearly one-half of the 168 mining fatalities reported in 2008, noted Cosatu. Twelve fatalities had occurred at the Driefontein mine alone, it added.

Gold Fields last month reported that three employees at its Kloof mine, on the West Rand, had died following seismic events.

Fellow gold major AngloGold Ashanti also reported a number of fatalities at its operations in the last two months.

To subscribe to Mining Weekly's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.