Mining companies are being driven to comply with local and international safety standards as part of stakeholders’ demands for business sustainability, says safety equipment manufacturer Mine Safety Appliances Africa (MSA Africa) international mining sales director Richard Crosby.

The responsibility of com-
panies to be sustainable, with 
regard to safety, profitability, social responsibility and environ-
mental impact, is key to generating stakeholder support and demonstrating the long-term 
viability of resources and mining companies. This responsibility is driving the increased focus on safety in mines throughout the geographical footprint of these companies, he explains.

Sustainability reports of these companies are also driven 
by international best practice standards, such as the Global Reporting Initiative that can be used to benchmark companies’ 
performance with respect to laws, norms, codes, performance standards and voluntary initiatives while demonstrating organisational commitment to sustainable development. These reports can also be used to evaluate an organisation’s performance over time, he adds.

This drive towards safety inter-
nationally has boosted demand for MSA Africa’s products and services, which is reporting a turnaround in demand that slowed during the recession. This is evident in the increased focus on safety and sustainability 
from governments in Africa, many of which are promulgating legislation to reduce fatalities and 
injuries in mines, he adds.

“Accidents or fatalities draw strong and immediate reaction from civil society, government and, particularly, legislative bodies. The consequences are, at least, a Section 54 ruling by the mining inspectorate, which means an immediate suspension of part or an entire operation until the investigation is completed or until the authorities are convinced that conditions are safe to continue operations. Investigations may include the compliance to standards of safety equipment and whether the correct personal protective equipment was used, meaning that both the mine’s safety and sup-
ply chain departments may be 
involved in the audit. This means that safety equipment suppliers are obliged to play a more consultative role and ensure that they are up to date with standards 
for safety equipment,” says Crosby.

A further responsibility of safety equipment suppliers is to ensure a secure and uninter-
rupted supply of key safety products to their customers, as suppliers can quickly lose their credibility (and business) if these supply conditions are not met. To meet these responsibilities, MSA Africa invests significant time in training its sales people and distributors of its products on their compliance with standards and the specific needs and safety issues of customers, he says.

Supplier responsibility drives compliance around product and service quality and reliability, he explains, and, if distributors are not selling the correct products, providing the correct service or providing sufficient support, then the safety equipment supplier may also be found to be liable. Thus, all products and dealerships must be certified and compliant as part of the responsibility part of the sustainability of a business.

MSA Africa offers backup service agreements for its specialised safety equipment to its customers, which includes a technician on standby at the various customer sites. The company supplies equipment according to local and international standards and provides training for 
employees of the mines concerning safety equipment use and safety compliance, says MSA product manager for fixed systems Emmanuel Manaka.

Customers of MSA Africa are 
taking into account the total cost 
of ownership of a product to improve their sustainability. Whereas the short-term initial cost of products is usually consid-
ered, the quality and reliability of a product over its entire life cycle are now the focus of businesses seeking to improve their safety compliance while reducing 
unnecessary expenses in the form 
of life-cycle costs, explains Crosby.

“Companies no longer only consider the price of items and this is why, while price is important, the total cost of ownership includes service and maintenance costs. Global mining firms are demanding these services alongside a secure supply of high-quality safety equipment. This is why MSA Africa is using feedback from clients to drive research and development of its products, 
and to improve its products based on application and knowledge in order to enhance the working environment of its clients,” says MSA product line manager Dharmesh Lakmidas.

MSA, globally, has moved away from a traditionally product-focused approach, recognising the need for a more customer-focused approach and has, thus, created several customer focus segments: mining, 
construction, oil, gas and 
petroleum, fire and emergency, 
military and after-sales services. In this way, the company can assess its customer’s needs and 
deal with those needs directly, says Crosby.

The focus on customer feedback has led MSA Africa to 
develop a few new products that deal with the identified needs of 
clients, says Manaka. Specifically, 
feedback from a client prompted 
MSA Africa to design a fixed gas detection system used under-
ground in coal mines for the battery bays to monitor hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) gases. Previously,
detection for this area was 
neglected because it was 
declared a safe area. Tests conducted proved that the degassing of batteries during charging 
releases a cloud of hydrogen gas, which can be a cause of explosion underground.

MSA Africa is also focusing on the safety and improvement of its miner’s cap lamp. Surveys conducted at customers’ premises 
indicated that most customers install auxiliary devices such as warning devices, like gas 
detectors, on the cap lamps without first checking if there is enough access power to supply such auxiliary devices. This poses a significant danger to 
miners because if the cap lamp battery does not have enough 
access power to drive such an auxiliary device, the miner can be left without light underground.

Manaka explains that the technical standard concerning cap lamps, namely the South African National Standard 1438, is being changed because of the new 
developments in cap lamps and is driven by safety concerns. New developments have seen technology changing from lead acid and halogen bulb-type cap lamps to lithium batteries and light-emitting diode (LED) technology.

LED cap lamps are intrinsically safe because they cannot produce a spark when short-circuited. The new technology also has a reduced impact on the environment and reduces the costs that mines incur in dispos-
ing of old batteries and head-
lamps. He adds that, globally, 
MSA designs environment-friendly safety equipment in 
response to the demand for such products from clients. MSA Africa is increasing its consultation with its African clients to determine where they see potential for reducing their environmental impact, in line with the company’s global trend toward client consultation and sustainable support of clients’ businesses.

MSA Africa also introduced a personal dual-gas detection 
instrument that monitors CH4 and CO levels. The detector is robust to withstand the work conditions on the mines. The product was tested and is certified in the US and in Germany to meet international standards, says Lakmidas.

Meanwhile, Crosby says that MSA Africa has established an office in Zambia to support the large copper projects in that country. This is in response to the country easing its restrictive laws around mining that saw Chile overtake it as the top copper-producing region in the world. However, with the government identifying the need to attract investment, the country is generating sustained interest from global mining companies. He 
explains that companies find it easy to do business in Botswana and Namibia and that other African countries, such as Ghana, Mozambique and Zambia, are following suit.

MSA Africa is evaluating other potential new and existing projects throughout Africa to 
determine if they can support and 
add value to these projects. The company has a significant and broad Southern African distribution network and is analysing other regions in Africa in order to expand its support network.

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