Solidarity calls on mines to refocus on Zero Harm

Solidarity today expressed its concern regarding mining related fatalities and injuries reported in 2019, urging mines to refocus their efforts to ensure health and safety for workers.

This after the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy today released the occupational health and safety statistics for 2019.

“The mining industry strives towards Zero Harm therefore, although we welcome the improvement in numbers of fatalities and injuries, we must not forget that we are talking about 51 people who have lost their lives in mines. This downward trend in fatalities and injuries is welcomed, but we call on all mines, mine management and all workers to let these improvements renew their energy, focus and dedication towards achieving Zero Harm,” said Paul Mardon, Deputy General Secretary of Strategy and Sustainability at Solidarity.

At the end of 2018, there were 79 fatalities whilst 2019 closed off with an all-time low of 51 fatalities – an improvement of 37%. This is also an improvement of 36% on the previous lowest record year, 2016, where the year closed off with 72 fatalities. Another encouraging aspect is that there were no mining disasters during 2019.

“There has also been a 2% decrease in the number of injuries, from 2 447 in 2018 to 2 406 in 2019. We are thankful for the decrease, but are concerned that it is only 2%. The number of injuries is usually seen as an indicator of the health of safety management systems and should be much higher, even much higher than the percentage decrease in fatalities. This could mean that the decrease in fatalities could be ascribed to pure luck,” Mardon said.

The report shows that the major causes of mining fatalities are still falls of ground (rock-falls) and transport in mining, while no fatalities were caused by fire and heat. Platinum is the commodity with the most injuries where injuries increased by 10% with 1 049 cases in 2018 to 1 151 in 2019. Gold mines recorded an improvement of 19% in injuries from the 905 in 2018 to the 732 in 2019, but injuries in coal mines increased by 33% from 169 (2018) to 224 (2019).

Mardon admitted that there is also reason to celebrate when it comes to mining-related diseases, where the statistics showed an improvement of 23%. The reporting of mining-related diseases also showed an improvement during the past few years. Cases of noise-induced hearing loss have reduced by 22%; cases of silicosis have come down by 29% and cases of pulmonary TB decreased by 24%. Occupational diseases constituted the cause of 86% of all mining-related fatalities, not safety incidents.

“Solidarity commends and credits the mining industry for the good cooperation of the tripartite stakeholders when it comes to health and safety in the mines. We once again call on all stakeholders in mining – employers, the state and all trade unions, including inter-union cooperation – to improve this cooperation and to not lose heart in pursuing Zero Harm in the mining industry,” Mardon concluded.

Statement issued by Paul Mardon, Solidarity Deputy General Secretary: Strategy and Sustainability, 24 January 2020