AN ALARMING number of recent deaths in South African mines have led to speculation that managers are overlooking safety standards as they hunt for profits.
The country’s mines have claimed an astounding 129 lives since the beginning of 2008.
One mineworker died at AngloGold Ashanti’s Savuka mine, west of Johannesburg on 19 September 2008. On the same day, two miners were found dead at the East Rand Proprietary Mines’ Boksburg operation.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says the frequency of accidents is “absolutely unacceptable”, and hopes stricter penalties and prosecution for negligence will decrease the number of fatalities
The Chamber of Mines is working with the government to improve standards, and has launched a year-long pilot program to “ensure the mining industry’s safety standards go beyond the best practices in the world.”
While the country has a number of mine safety bodies, experts say the industry needs a change in attitude so fatalities are not considered a normal part of mining.
NUM spokesperson, Lesiba Seshoka, says the industry is under pressure after a worldwide commodity boom and “companies are doing all they can to get their people to work”.
Safety audits were conducted by the Department of Minerals and Energy in 2007 to review policies and standards in South African mines. According to the DME, results will be released only once the state president has read them.
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