 1. Accidents
No fatalities were reported during the course of April 2011.
The mines in the region reported twenty four (24) accidents during April 2011, of which seven (4) were non casualty accidents. The accidents per category were as follows:
| General accidents |
9 |
| Transport and mining |
8 |
| Fall of ground |
1 |
| Machinery |
1 |
| Other |
1 |
| Non-casualty |
4 |
| Total |
24 |
2. Safety Achievements:
Congratulations to the following mines for their excellent safety achievements:
- Golfview Colliery - 1,04 million fatality free man shifts over the course of 15 years - an excellent achievement.
- Zibulo Colliery – 1000 fatality free production shifts.
- Middelburg Townlands Colliery – 4000 fatality free production shifts.
- Forzando North – 12000 fatality free production shifts.
Well done to all at these operations and continue to improve on your excellent safety achievements.
3.Details of Accidents per Mining Groups
4. Brief description of accidents which occurred during April 2011
- Cable head on CM slipped whilst removing faulty cable and injured left ring finger.
- Arm caught between maintenance bus and gate of section waiting place.
- Whilst removing CM cutter motor cover it slipped and pinned hand against cutter motor frame.
- During reclamation of cable from old section, the skid on which the cable was being loaded was pulled forward by the LHD injuring left foot.
- Pulling tail end with two LHDs in tandem, the bucket of one LHD came loose and struck right lower leg.
- Finger injured when caught between drill bed and stopper whilst leaning against drill rig in operation.
- Tyre handler injured left leg when tyre fell onto him.
- Struck by material when standing close to a tipping truck.
- Belly plate of machine fell and injured right thumb.
- Tripped and fell over roof bolter trailing cable injuring left hand.
- Injured left hand small finger from electrical shock whilst working on panel.
- Whilst suspending cable injured finger when trapped between cable head and skid of MSU.
- Tripped and fell over shuttle car trailing cable.
- CM operator sustained cuts to his head from FOG whilst cutting split.
- Slipped and fell in plant injuring shoulder.
- Fell from loader and fractured wrist whilst removing safety net from panel.
- Head pulley bearing seized causing grease to ignite.
- Sleeper slipped from hand and fell on foot causing injury.
- Exposed to blasting fumes due to change in ventilation plan.
- Slipped and injured ankle on slippery floor in section.
- Boom gate fell on thumb causing injury.
- Haul truck drove into safety berm at train bridge haul road.
- Fly rock landed close to drill crew drilling 344 metres from blast area.
- Methane flash occurred whilst CM cutting.
6. Inspections and Audits: April 2011
Inspections
| |
Planned |
Actual |
| Mining inspections |
15 |
14 |
| Occupational Hygiene inspections |
15 |
11 |
| Occupational Medicine inspections |
12 |
17 |
| Machinery inspections |
30 |
37 |
| Statutory equipment inspections |
0 |
0 |
Audits
| |
Planned |
Actual |
| Health and Safety management systems audit. (Group) |
2 |
2 |
| Occupational Health Audits (Hygiene and Medical) |
14 |
24 |
| Occupational Safety Audits (Mining and Machinery) |
21 |
21 |
Non conformances found during audits and inspections:
- Medical surveillance not appropriate.
- First aiders not qualified.
- Occupational Medical Practitioner not adhering to legal requirements.
- Hearing protection not worn in demarcated noise zones.
- Dangerous high wall at adit in the box cut.
- Poor in section ventilation controls.
- Scaling roof.
- Stop block not in use as per mine standard.
- No licence for shuttle car operator.
- Poor initial examination.
- Excessive intersections created by sub-standard cutting of break-aways.
- Fire extinguishers not serviced and checked on a monthly basis.
- No procedure for belt splicing.
- Weekly conveyor inspections not done.
- Checklist incorrectly completed and “A” class hazards ignored.
7. Section 54 / 55 Instructions, Administrative Fines and Prosecutions
7.1 Compliance notices in terms of Section 55 of the Mine Health and Safety Act.
- Conveyor belt pulleys not guarded.
- Conveyor belt at plant to be fitted with pre-start alarm.
7.2 Improvement instruction in terms of Section 54 of the MH&SA.
- Medicals not conducted at clinic where medical practitioner was working.
- Last through road velocities must be maintained above 1.0m/s.
- No warning notices in the sub station and panels not labelled.
- Lock-out COP to be revised.
- Fan supplying ventilation to underground workings had no safety devices.
- Mobile plant did not have nip guards and pull wires.
- Slew conveyor belt did not have side guard, pull wires and start alarm.
7.3 Stoppage instructions in terms of Section 54 of the MH&SA.
Nil
8.Guidelines for Mandatory Codes of Practice
On 31 January 2011 the Chief Inspector of Mines issued guidelines in terms of section 9.3 of the Mine Health and Safety Act for the compilation of mandatory codes of practice for the following:
- Emergency preparedness
- Design, development, and construction, safe operation and maintenance of draw points, tipping points, rock passes and box fronts.
Both these guidelines call for the employer to prepare an implementation plan for the applicable COP that makes provision for issues such as organisational structures, responsibilities of functions and programs for the proper implementation of the COP.
The implementation plan must be drawn up by 01 October 2011 and forwarded to this office for record purposes. All employers are encouraged to have the applicable COPs implemented as soon as reasonably practicable.
9.Invitations to Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate
Recently problems have been experienced regarding invitations for Inspectors to attend safety functions where the invitations were received either late or not at all. You are kindly requested to forward a copy of invitations to Loraine Coetzee and possibly follow up telephonically if no response has been received. (loraine.coetzee@dmr.gov.za)
10.New Health Regulations
Your attention is drawn to the new health regulations recently published in the Government Gazette No 33752, on 12 November 2010;-
Regulation 11.3 - addresses the changes in the exit medical certificate and includes the additional DMR 389 form that must be attached to the exit certificate, reflecting the occupational exposure levels to which the employee were exposed.
and Government Gazette No 34003, published on 02 February 2011.
Form DMR 90 - Health Incident Input Form, addressing the investigation and reporting of occupational diseases to the Principal Inspector.
You are requested to familiarize yourself with these new Regulations and ensure that you comply with them.
11. Farewell to Peter Rogers - Inspector: Mine Safety
Peter Rogers retired at the end of April 2011 after serving the Department Mineral Resources for the past six years. All the staff members of the Mpumalanga Regional office wish him health and happiness in his retirement.
Below is a farewell message from Peter:
“As I have reached the compulsory retirement age, I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to all the friends and acquaintances that I have made during my 47 years in the mining industry.
I greatly appreciated the openness and co-operation shown towards me by the personnel on the mines whilst I was carrying out my duties as an Inspector during the past six years, it certainly made my task a lot easier.
As Laverne and I intend to remain in Witbank, I am sure that I will be bumping into acquaintances and former colleagues from time to time. Many thanks to one and all for the help and friendliness shown to me and may you all have a safe and productive future in the mines.
God Bless,
Peter Rogers.”
Report provided by:
Department: Mineral Resources
Republic Of South Africa
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