The John T. Ryan Trophy for a surface-mining operation was awarded to AngloGold Ashanti’s Savuka gold mine in Gauteng, while platinum producer Lonmin’s 4B/1B shaft in the North West clinched the award for an underground operation at MineSAFE 2016.
The John T. Ryan Trophy was presented by MSA Africa Executive Director Colin Oliver at MineSAFE 2016, the premier safety conference of the South African mining industry. MSA Africa has been involved with MineSAFE since 2011, testament to its ongoing commitment to continually improving safety records in all sectors of the South African mining industry.
An impartial panel of judges representing the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), the Association of Mine Managers of South Africa (AMMSA), the South African Colliery Managers Association (SACMA) and the Metallurgical Mine Managers’ Association (MMMA) determined the winners.
The John T. Ryan Trophy is sculpted to represent a father safely home from work, with his arms around the shoulders of his son and daughter. “This symbolises that the mineworker is the most important commodity, and the embodiment of safety best practice in the mining industry,” Oliver commented.
Established in 2009, MineSAFE advances the goal of achieving Zero Harm in the South African mining industry by bringing together mine management, the Department of Mineral Resources, the Chamber of Mines, trade unions and health and safety practitioners at all levels of industry to share best practice and strategies in this regard.
The MineSAFE conference comprised high-level presentations from industry leaders, focusing on all issues related to safety, health and environmental protection. It culminated in the Industry Awards Day on 2 September 2016.
Here the 2016 winners of the internationally-recognised John T. Ryan Safety Trophy were unveiled. The award is named after the original founder of MSA, and introduced to the Canadian mining industry in 1941, before expanding globally.
MineSAFE Industry Awards 2016
HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Presented to the company that had made a significant advancement with regard to its employees and/or the surrounding community in which it operated. Winner: Vedanta Resources’ Black Mountain mine, Northern Cape.
TOP ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME: A project that had had a significant positive impact on the environment. Winner: African Rainbow Minerals’ Nkomati mine, Mpumalanga.
BEST-IN-CLASS SAFETY: Companies that achieved the lowest progressive total injury frequency rate (TIFR) reported in the period 1 July 2015 to 1 June 1 2016. Awarded in respective commodity sectors.
GOLD: Harmony Gold’s Kalgold mine in the North West.
PLATINUM: Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena platinum mine in Limpopo.
COAL: Sasol Mining’s Bosjesspruit mine in Mpumalanga.
DIAMONDS: Petra Diamonds’ Finsch mine in the Northern Cape.
BASE METALS: Diversified mining major Glencore’s Magareng mine in Mpumalanga.
MOST IMPROVED SAFETY PERFORMANCE: Glencore’s ferroalloys division.