Small-to-medium-sized mines remain a critical part of South Africa’s mining sector and are often required to manage the same complex safety, compliance, and workforce training obligations as larger operations, while operating within different resource, infrastructure, and capacity models.

Employing roughly 500 to 2000 people, many of these operations are now under growing pressure to meet evolving Section 10 requirements under the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), particularly around practical competency, induction quality, and fatal-risk preparedness.

To help bridge this gap, KBC Health and Safety has launched a scalable, practical training solution specifically designed for smaller mining operations. Delivered through an affordable fixed monthly retainer model, the solution combines site-specific induction training, practical hazard exposure, fatal-risk awareness, and continuous micro-learning to strengthen workforce competence while supporting compliance with the MHSA.

Strengthening safety and compliance capability for smaller mines

According to Jared Kangisser, CEO of KBC Health and Safety, many smaller operations are under increasing pressure to meet evolving safety requirements while managing capacity constraints, contractor onboarding, and operational productivity demands.

“South Africa’s Mine Health and Safety Act is globally progressive, but implementing the required levels of training and competency consistently can be challenging for smaller mining operations,” says Kangisser. “In many operations, induction programmes can become heavily compliance-focused, which means there is a risk that practical exposure to real onsite hazards does not receive enough emphasis.”

Kangisser says the changing Section 10 environment is placing greater emphasis on demonstrable competency and practical safety outcomes, making it increasingly important for mines to build on existing compliance training with practical, site-specific learning.

The KBC model replaces standardised training interventions with practical, site-aligned modules that integrate mine-specific standard operating procedures, fatal risks, and operational exposures directly into the learning process. The training is structured around adult-learning principles designed to improve long-term knowledge retention and practical competency.

Practical, site-specific training designed for real mining risks

One of the key innovations is KBC’s compact hazard room concept. Unlike traditional hazard parks, which require large physical spaces and significant capital investment, the compact hazard rooms provide immersive practical learning within a smaller, more cost-effective format.

“A traditional hazard park is simply not financially viable for many smaller mines,” Kangisser explains. “Our compact hazard rooms create meaningful practical exposure to critical risks in a way that is affordable, scalable, and aligned to the operational realities of smaller sites.”

The solution also incorporates short-form micro-learning interventions to continuously reinforce fatal-risk behaviours and improve safety awareness over time.

A scalable model that strengthens safety without replacing in-house teams

KBC says the model is designed to support, not replace, internal training and HR teams. By managing induction volumes, training administration, and ongoing content updates, the solution frees internal trainers to spend more time in the field while enabling HR and learning teams to focus on broader workforce development and safety strategy.

The flexible structure allows services to scale according to workforce volumes, contractor requirements, and operational changes across both leased and independently operated mines.

“With the right systems, training quality, and practical reinforcement in place, smaller operations can achieve strong, consistent safety capability that is aligned with industry best practice and the expectations of the broader mining sector,” says Kangisser.