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Drilling operations achieve impressive safety records

RISKY BUSINESS 
Underground diamond drilling has many hazards and the possibility for a serious accident is high

RISKY BUSINESS Underground diamond drilling has many hazards and the possibility for a serious accident is high

24th March 2017

     

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Two underground diamond drilling sites operated by mining industry services provider Rosond have achieved five years of ‘zero harm’.

Platinum producer Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplat’s) Dishaba mine, previously known as Amandelbult before being split into Dishaba and Tumela, near Thabazimbi, in Limpopo, achieved this milestone at the end of last year, while gold producer Harmony Gold’s Evander mine, in Mpumalanga, celebrated its accident-free record on February 12.

Other Rosond sites that have achieved notable success in running operations that have been free of lost-time injury (LTI) are at gold producer Gold Fields’ Kloof mine, in the Witwatersrand, in Gauteng, which achieved five years free of LTI on December 19, 2016, and at Amplat’s Tumela platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold mine, which achieved five years free of LTI on February 28.

Moreover, the company reported on March 2 that its site at gold miner AngloGold Ashanti’s Tau Tona mine, in Gauteng, had experienced zero harm for 360 days.

Rosond operations director Ricardo Ribeiro says underground diamond drilling has many hazards and the possibility for a serious accident is high. “Activities require a great deal of manual handling and working conditions are physically demanding,” he notes.

Rosond, which is based in Midrand, in South Africa, has a policy of zero harm and says the safety of its employees is its first priority. “We, therefore, scrutinise every possible hazard and do whatever is necessary to control and, if possible, eliminate risks.”

Ribeiro attributes the drilling team’s success to several factors, including focusing on the top hazards and implementing various safety devices for the protection of employees. The company has also gradually created a culture of safety through quarterly safety drives that remind employees of fundamentals and reinforce nonnegotiables.

Training programmes, including annual and refresher training, play a major role in this success, says Ribeiro. “Training concentrates on safe operating procedures through theoretical and practical sessions facilitated by qualified trainers and assessors.”

Another driving force behind the company’s successful safety record is objectives and targets. “These are driven by a safety incentive scheme which rewards the teams with a safety bonus. Our partnership with our clients [also] plays a big role through [the adoption of] their safety programmes and standards,” he says.

Lastly, he indicates that supervisory staff also contribute by motivating the drilling teams.

Ribeiro avers that the drilling teams are the “heroes”, though, making such achievements possible. “Without them, we do not have a business and it is our responsibility to look after them and ensure they go home safely at the end of each day.

“We are extremely proud of this achievement and look forward to the next five years because we know that zero harm is possible,” concludes Ribeiro.

Rosond, established over 50 years ago as Rodio/Rosond, is active in underground mining development and exploration drilling, cementation works and precementation of shafts, as well as grout pack support systems. The company strives for leadership in Southern Africa’s mining industry.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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