Lowering injuries and fatalities as a result of fall-of-ground (FoG) incidents is “all about leadership”, the correct mindset, “the heart, the passion” and “walking the talk” Minerals Council South Africa Zero Harm Forum vice chairperson Japie Fullard said on March 31.
Speaking at a Khumbulekhaya FoG seminar, he said mine managers and health and safety officers needed to use various resources and modern technology available to them to ensure FoG events are detected and that miners were not in harm's way when such incidents occurred.
“Technology is here to stay, it is here to make our lives easier. Mechanisation is here to stay, and we believe that is where a huge success will be; but it is going to take time and it is going to take a huge amount of resources,” stated Fullard.
In addition, he said it was important for mining companies and managers to show employees that care was being taken to protect them.
“We should be very humble in our progress and achievements,” Fullard added.
Further, he recommended mine managers and health and safety representatives use past FoG incidents as a learning tool, adding that there were valuable lessons to be learned from everyone involved in dangerous operations.
In this regard, Fullard said the people working at the mine faces and in dangerous areas knew best where the dangers associated with FoG were and that they needed to be empowered to voice their opinions without fear of victimisation.
Nonetheless, focus was also needed on leading safety indicators, to ensure the correct ones are being monitored and managed.
As a last method of reducing the health and safety impact of FoG, he said critical control management was required.