Mining industry stakeholders have to continue working hard to improve on health- and safety-related matters to achieve the objective of zero harm at mining operations, said Chamber of Mines of South Africa president Mike Teke during his keynote address at the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s 2015 MineSafe conference, in Kempton Park, on August 28.

“I have seen quite a number of improvements in the mining industry over many years. “In 2012, the local mining industry recorded 112 fatalities, 93 in 2013 and in 2014 there were 84 fatalities recorded by the industry, which is a clear indication that we are making great strides towards improving safety levels,” he noted.

However, Teke also pointed out that, as of August 28, the industry had recorded 49 fatalities in 2015, which he stressed was a “very important reminder” that a lot more needed to be done to ensure zero harm was achieved.

“There also has to be greater emphasis on the health and wellbeing of mine employees as well as the environmental impacts of mining operations,” Teke added.

During the MineSafe conference, industry awards were presented to those companies that had achieved outstanding safety, health and environmental performance in the South African mining industry.

The health and wellness award was presented to the company that had made a significant advancement with regard to its employees and/or the surrounding community in which it operated. Black-controlled diversified mining company African Rainbow Minerals’ (ARM’s) Khumani iron-ore mine, in the Northern Cape, was the winner in this category.

The award for the top environmental programme went to the company that had implemented a project that had a significant positive impact on the environment. This was awarded to diversified mining major Glencore for its KwaZulu-Natal rehabilitation of defunct operations.

The award for the best teams in mine rescue services, which recognised mine rescue teams that had excelled in terms of their duties and responsibilities, was presented to the mine rescue team of JSE-listed gold miner Harmony Gold’s Kusasalethu gold mine, located on the border of Gauteng and the North West province.

The award for innovation in health was presented to dual-listed mining giant Anglo American for the implementation of new dust monitoring technologies at its New Vaal colliery, in the Free State.

The awards for the most improved year-on-year safety statistics in terms of total injury frequency rate (TIFR) were divided into commodities.

In the gold industry, the top prize went to Harmony’s Bambanani gold mine, in the Free State. Platinum miner Impala Platinum (Implats) received the top honour in the platinum sector for its Impala Rustenburg Operations No 7 Shaft platinum mine, in the North West. While in the coal sector, coal miner Total Coal South Africa’s Tumelo coal mine, in Mpumalanga, received the top award.

The award for the most improved operation in the diamond sector went to diamond miner Petra Diamonds’ Finsch diamond mine, in the Northern Cape. Glencore’s Rietvlei-Waterval operation, in the North West, received the award in the base metals category.

The best-in-class safety award was presented to companies that had achieved the lowest progressive TIFR reported in the period July 1, 2014, to June 1, 2015, and was presented to companies in their respective commodity sectors. These operations included Harmony’s Target Shaft No 1 gold mine, in the Free State; Implats’ Impala Rustenburg Operations No 7 Shaft platinum mine; Petra’s Finsch diamond mine; Total’s Tumelo coal mine and Glencore’s Rietvlei-Waterval base metals operation.