Aligning with the industry-wide push to expand the participation of women in core mining roles, mining industry emergency services organisation Mines Rescue Services South Africa (MRS) has observed a steady upward trend in the number of women qualifying as first responders over the past decade, says CEO Mannas Fourie.

Owing to legislation that prohibited women from working underground in South African mines until 1996, women were historically absent from active mine rescue teams before this time.

However, over the past two decades, women have assumed an increasingly prominent role in South Africa’s mining industry. According to employers association the Minerals Council South Africa, women now account for more than 12% of the mining workforce.

“The growing number of women in the sector defines a clear shift to equality in the workspace,” says Fourie.

MRS operates a strictly standardised, merit-based system in which men and women Surface Fire Responders (SFRs) and underground rescuers, known as Proto teams, are subject to identical training, assessment requirements and operational responsibilities.

“Training content, duration and assessment criteria are 100% standardised regardless of gender, with absolutely no exceptions made to passing thresholds,” he adds.

To earn a valid licence to practise as an SFR or Proto member under the Mine Health and Safety Act, men and women must pass identical physical assessments, including a rigorous 60-minute heat tolerance test for Proto rescuers.

Rescuers must also successfully work in irrespirable environments using the same self-rescuing apparatus, such as the self-contained breathing apparatus, which provides up to 30 minutes of use, or the long-duration breathing apparatus, which provides up to four hours of oxygen. These self-rescuing units are commonplace in underground mines.

“All trainees must also attend identical five-day initial comprehensive courses and attend standard biannual physical refreshers,” Fourie elaborates, adding that a strenuous physical, application-specific workload test in predetermined timeframes must also be completed.

MRS’ principles dictate that all certified rescuers must perform competently across all functions.

Fourie says female responders often excel in situational roles requiring precise communication structure, rigorous adherence to medical protocols during the administration of first aid, and methodical equipment monitoring under intense pressure.

“Further, compact physical builds can offer a distinct operational advantage during confined-space work, trench rescues or navigating in collapsed mine sections,” he adds.

Appropriate Equipment

MRS and its member mines place a strong emphasis on ergonomic equipment adaptations to better accommodate and retain women in the workforce. These measures include providing ergonomically designed personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus harnesses tailored to their body types.

Because mine rescuers are volunteer employees of their respective mining companies, many individual mining houses manage shift arrangements and childcare support at site level. This, says Fourie, enables active-duty responders to balance emergency standby responsibilities with their family commitments.

MRS’ strategic priorities focus on continuing to modernise emergency response frameworks through lighter advanced rescue technologies, ergonomic mechanical extraction aids and standardised technical skills development that is open to all qualifying candidates.

“MRS works alongside member mines and associated organisations, both locally and abroad, to optimise standard preselection physical conditioning and improve on-site infrastructure.”

The company also ensures that every responder, regardless of gender, is equipped, trained and protected to the exact same uncompromising safety standard.

Fourie adds that women who serve as mine rescuers demonstrate “exceptional courage, stepping forward during challenging and life-threatening times to rescue colleagues”.

“By publicly honouring women qualifying as rescuers and receiving long service awards for their multi-year commitment to rescue tasks, we hope to show other women the opportunities and benefits of being qualified rescuers,” he concludes.