1.1 opencast blasting monthly regional newsletterdocs\dmr regional monthly report... · the change...
TRANSCRIPT
This confirms that the Section 54 instruction issued on 17 January 2012 by Mr MO Poultney to
Greenside Colliery is hereby lifted subject to the following conditions:-
1. Guards or decking must be provided at the back of the chute up to the tail-end of the “C”
conveyor.
2. The engineer must personally ensure compliance to Regulation 8.9(1)(f), 8.8(3)(i),
8.8(3)(j) and 8.8(3)(k).
3. A program to provide visible means that would indicate that the power to conveyor belts
is isolated, must be submitted to the Principal Inspector before 31 January 2012.
Yours faithfully
1. TOPICAL ISSUES OF THE MONTH
1.1 OPENCAST BLASTING
Lately, this office has become inundated with complaints from parties residing close to
opencast mines.
These complaints are normally as a result of blasting operations at the mines and it is
disturbing to note that in a number of cases, blasting activities on the mine were
undertaken without consultation with all affected parties.
It is also noted that where blasting operations at the mines are done in a responsible
manner and all affected parties are consulted with, no complaints are lodged with this
Department.
1.2 INCREASED METHANE RELEASE RATES
The change in ambient temperatures is often associated with dropping and widely fluctuating barometric pressures.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. TOPICAL ISSUES OF THE MONTH
Mine Health and Safety
Inspectorate:
Monthly Regional Newsletter
MPUMALANGA REGION
Postal address, Private Bag X7279, Witbank, 1035
Physical address, Province House, cnr of Botha Ave and Paul Kruger Street, Witbank
Enquiries : LJA Bezuidenhout
Tel: 013-653 0500
Fax: 013-690 2390
E-mail: [email protected]
FEBRUARY 2013
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. TOPICAL ISSUES OF THE MONTH
1.1 Occupational disease investigations
1.2 Notification of industrial action
2. MINING
2.1 Codes of Practices: Closing the loop
3. ENGINEERING
3.1 Machinery awareness - brakes
4. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
4.1 Occupational Medicine
a. Reporting of occupational diseases
b. Control of chronic diseases
4.2 Occupational Hygiene
a New equipment procurement
b Application of stone dust
5. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
5.1 Fatal accident.
5.2 Accidents reported
5.3 Details of accidents per mining Groups
5.4 Accident comparison with previous
years (Mpumalanga Region)
5.5 Table of fatal accidents (Mpumalanga
Region)
5.6 DMR fatality statistics for 2013
a. Breakdown by Regions
b. Breakdown by Commodity
6. AUDITS, INSPECTIONS AND
INVESTIGATIONS
6.1 Inspections
6.2 Audits
6.3 Non conformances found during
audits and inspections
7. SECTION 54/55 INSTRUCTIONS
ISSUED
7.1 Compliance notices i.t.o. Section 55
7.2 Improvement instructions i.t.o.
Section 54
7.3 Stoppage instructions i.t.o. Section
54
8. EXAMINATIONS
8.1 Mine Overseers’ Certificates
8.2 Lampman and Onsetters’
Certificates
9. LEGISLATION
10. REGIONAL OVERVIEW
10.1 Safety achievements
11. GENERAL
11.1 Mine Survey and Mine Managers’
examinations
ANNEXURE : Brief Accident Descriptions
- 3 -
1. TOPICAL ISSUES OF THE MONTH
1.1 OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS
Numerous reminders were placed in the monthly newsletters regarding the investigations of
early noise induced hearing loss as well as diagnosed occupational diseases.
Once a disease has been diagnosed, an investigation should be conducted and finalized within
30 days. The employer is further responsible to ensure that a copy of the investigation is
forwarded to the Principal Inspector in the Region.
Shifts from baseline hearing tests between 5% - 9% must also be investigated as discussed
above and submitted to the Principal Inspector. The investigation does not only include
personal monitoring of the affected employee, but also the relevance of issued PPE, correct
use of PPE, possibility of re-training and extramural activities. Recommendations need to be
made regarding steps to be taken with such affected employees and the corrective steps taken,
must also be included in the report.
As this is a legal requirement according to Section 11.5 of the Mine Health and Safety Act,
you are cautioned that action will be taken against mines not complying.
2.2 NOTIFICATION OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION
In the light of the violent industrial action at Marikana and the possible mass retrenchment of
employees at the Anglo Platinum mines, the Minister for Mineral Resources indicated that she
must be informed regarding such occurrences. Employers are therefore requested to inform
the regional office of the Department of any such occurrences.
2. MINING
2.1 CODES OF PRACTICE : CLOSING THE LOOP
In terms of Section 10 of the Mine Health and Safety Act, the employer is compelled to ensure
that all employees are adequately trained to deal with any risk to the employee’s health or
safety.
Most of the mines in the region have compiled and submitted the mandatory Codes of Practice
and mostly these documents comply with the Guidelines issued by the Chief Inspector of
Mines. However, during recent inspections and audits, it has come to the attention of this
office that there is a great deal of confusion as far as the abovementioned issue is concerned
when questioning the employees in the working places.
Mine managers are advised to scrutinise the process in which the requirements of the various
Codes of Practice are communicated to the employees. Mine managers must also ensure that
the procedures and rules in which the employees are trained comply with the stipulations of
the COP.
- 4 -
3. ENGINEERING
3.1 MACHINERY AWARENESS BRAKES
In terms of regulation 8.8(2)(a) of the Mine Health and Safety Act, employers must take
reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being injured because of incorrect
design of equipment.
In 2012 an accident was reported to this office where an employee had a fully loaded rigid
dump truck parked at an incline. As he was coming out of his cabin the truck started to roll
back. He jumped off and the truck rolled for 60 metres before it tipped over.
The park brakes were applied and before it could be towed back to the workshop the brakes
had be released. It is normal practice to test brakes at the parking bay where a truck is empty,
but the brakes are not always tested for full load under worst case scenario.
Managers are requested to ensure that brakes are tested on a regular basis when trackless
mobile machines are fully loaded. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that all
trackless mobile machinery in their mining area is safe before they are used by employees.
4. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
4.1 OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
a. REPORTING OF DIAGNOSED OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
All diagnosed occupational diseases must be reported to the DMR on the DMR 231 form.
This is necessary to enable the inspectorate to capture these cases on a national database. The
annual medical reports statistics will further be audited against the DMR 231 forms submitted
and it needs to correlate with the number of diseases reflected on the annual medical report
submitted for the year.
b. CONTROL OF CHRONIC DISEASES
It is very important that employees with chronic medical conditions (e.g hypertension,
diabetes, etc.) are well controlled and managed. A death occurred on one of the mines where
an employee was not found medically fit earlier this year, but was allowed to continue
working without a valid certificate of fitness. He passed away after suffering a heart attack in
his mine vehicle in the pit.
- 5 -
4.2 OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE
a. NEW EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT
In terms of Section 21 of the Mine Health and Safety Act, any person who designs,
manufactures, repairs, imports or supplies any article for use at a mine, must ensure that the
article is safe and without risk to health and safety.
The employer must not only stipulate the minimum safety criteria, but also stipulate minimum
occupational hygiene criteria to be complied with by the OEM before such articles are
procured. The agreed milestones must be kept in mind.
b. APPLICATION OF STONE DUST
Managers must please ensure that stone dust is applied effectively to all exposed areas where
there is a possibility of an accumulation of coal dust.
The percentage incombustibility of dust in the return airways is also deteriorating and results
of below 80 % have been reported to this office.
If increased frequency of stone dusting these areas is a problem, alternative measures must be
applied to render these areas inert.
5. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
5.1 FATAL ACCIDENTS
It is unfortunate to report that two fatal accidents occurred during the month of February 2013.
a. 2013-02-20
An underground electrician was fatally injured when he was run over by an LHD in the
underground workings of a fiery coal mine.
Two LHD’s had brought in a roll of conveyor belt on a sled to a place where the construction
of a conveyor belt drive was taking place. One of the machines stopped to load a steel sling
into the bucket, with the intention of taking the sling to another section of the mine. After the
sling had been loaded into the bucket of the LHD, the operator started the machine and
proceeded along the tractor road, with the bucket in the front. As he was moving forward, he
heard a noise like something bumping and when he stopped to investigate, he found that a
person had been run over by the machine that he was operating. Apparently, the electrician
died when the machine ran him over.
- 6 -
b. 2013-02-25
An underground continuous miner operator was caught between a continuous miner and the
rib side in the underground workings of a fiery coal mine.
The operator positioned next to the continuous miner, moved the continuous miner to the
split between left 2 and left 3. When he trammed forward, the continuous miners slewed the
rear side to the right and the operator was caught between the continuous miner and the rib
side. The now deceased was still alive and was transported to the surface. He was taken to a
hospital in Witbank where he passed away.
5.2 ACCIDENT REPORTED
The mines in the region reported (37) accidents during February 2013 of which there were (2)
fatal accidents and (8) were non casualty accidents.
The accidents per category were as follows:
General accidents 20
Transport and mining 5
Fall of ground 3
Machinery 1
Other 0
Non-casualty 8
Total 37
- 7 -
5.3. DETAILS OF ACCIDENTS PER MINING GROUPS
FEB 2013 Year
Progressive
Rate/1000
Coal Mines Injured Fatals Injured Fatals Injured Fatals
Sasol Coal 5 0 9 0 4.84 0.00
Exxaro 2 0 2 0 1.82 0.00
BECSA 3 0 5 0 4.16 0.00
Kangra Coal 1 0 1 0 5.92 0.00
Anglo Coal 5 2 5 2 3.08 1.23
Anker Coal 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Xstrata Coal 2 0 4 0 4.58 0.00
Shanduka Coal 2 0 2 0 3.10 0.00
Total Coal SA 1 0 2 0 5.58 0.00
Jindal Africa 1 0 1 0 7.03 0.00
Kuyasa Mining 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Coal Of Africa 0 0 1 0 7.86 0.00
Siphethe Coal 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Sudor Coal 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Msobo Coal 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Optimum Coal 1 0 1 0 2.55 0.00
Private Mines 0 0 1 0 2.50 0.00
Gold & Platinum
Harmony Gold 1 0 1 0 2.81 0.00
Aquarius Plat 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Great Basin Gold 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Pan African Resource 1 0 1 0 2.53 0.00
Private Mines 1 0 3 0 5.57 0.00
Other Mines
Private Mines 1 0 3 0 3.49 0.00
TOTAL 27 0 42 2 3.21 0.15
5.4 Accident comparison with previous years Mpumalanga Region
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 Projected % Improve
FATALS 0 2 2 14 17 13 23 25 12 14%
DISABLED 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 #DIV/0!
INJURIES 15 27 42 302 289 293 382 460 252 17%
NON-CASUALTIES 8 8 16 87 74 78 77 49 96 -10%
TOTAL 23 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 403 380 385 482 534 360 11%
UNDERGROUND 16 18 34 231 215 216 292 345 204 12%
SURFACE 4 9 13 104 102 114 131 133 78 25%
OPENCAST 3 10 13 68 63 55 59 56 78 -15%
TOTAL 23 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 403 380 385 482 534 360 11%
FOG 2 3 5 21 31 28 49 80 30 -43%
MACHINERY 0 1 1 23 34 26 36 61 6 74%
T&M 4 5 9 75 84 85 78 115 54 28%
GENERAL 8 20 28 174 124 148 162 205 168 3%
OTHER 9 8 17 110 107 98 157 73 102 7%
TOTAL 23 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 403 380 385 482 534 360 11%
COAL 19 33 52 324 289 325 311 322 312 4%
GOLD 1 3 4 46 46 27 116 87 24 48%
PLATINUM 2 0 2 22 19 7 16 47 12 45%
OTHER 1 1 2 11 26 26 39 68 12 -9%
TOTAL 23 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 403 380 385 482 534 360 11%
5.5 FATAL ACCIDENTS DATE FAT INJ INSP Con Emp Coal Gold Other
1 Greenside Colliery 20-Feb 1 0 R-L LHD drove over electrician
1 1 2 Goedehoop Colliery 25-Feb 1 0 GAG CM crushed operator against side
1 1
TOTAL 2 0
0 2 2 0 0
- 9 -
5.6 DMR FATALITIES STATISTICS FOR 2013
a. Breakdown by Regions : fatalities 2013
W Cape N Cape F State E Cape KZN Mpumalanga Limpopo Gauteng Klerksdorp Rustenburg
January 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
February 0 0 2 1 0 2 1 1 2 6
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total: 0 0 2 1 0 2 1 2 3 6
Grand total: 17
- 10 -
b. Breakdown by Commodity : fatalities 2013
Gold Coal Platinum Other
January 2 0 0 0
February 5 2 3 5
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total: 7 2 3 5
Grand total: 17
- 11 -
6. AUDITS, INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS
6.1 Inspections: February 2013
PLANNED ACTUAL
Mining inspections 21 21
Occupational Hygiene inspections 9 12
Occupational Medicine inspections 12 14
Machinery inspections 30 29
Statutory equipment inspections 0 0
6.2 Audits: February 2013
PLANNED ACTUAL
Mine Health and Safety Group Audits. 6 5
Occupational Health Audits (Occ Hygiene and Medical) 11 14
Occupational Safety Audits (Mining and Machinery) 26 12
6.3 Non conformances found during inspections and audits:
Mining
Stone dusting not up to date.
Sub standard support.
Sub standard barring.
Miner’s safety declarations not kept for the prescribed period.
Occupational Hygiene
Flammable gas content release rate of coal being mined not determined.
Noise COP not drafted as per the DMR guideline.
Emergency escape drill to refuge bay not conducted.
Lifeline not leading to the refuge bay door.
Inadequate dust control measures at the primary crusher.
Hearing protection/earmuffs not conforming to SABS specification.
- 12 -
Machinery
Poor maintenance on machinery.
Non compliance to the checklist procedure.
Poor hazard identification and risk assessment.
Sweeping in underground sections not done.
Some TMM operators do not understand the pre-use checklist.
Accumulation of mud water in the sections.
Bad conditions of underground road ways.
No go areas not barricaded.
Battery haulers not equipped with means to extinguish fires.
Fan inside the refuge bay noisy when operated.
No means to guide employees to the refuge bays.
Key control system is not followed in some mines.
Working places in the mines are not provided with communication systems.
Flame proof apparatus is not maintained.
Safety belts not used by operators.
Damaged pulley guards found on underground conveyors.
Occupational medicine
Change house without any water supply.
Employees are allowed to take dirty overalls home to be washed.
Fist aid equipment not accessible.
Dust masks not issued on mine.
Employees working without certificates of fitness.
7. INSTRUCTIONS IN TERMS OF SECTION 54 AND 55 ISSUED DURING
FEBRUARY 2013
7.1 Compliance notices in terms of Section 55
Belt-drive attendant found cleaning the installation while in motion.
Belt-drive attendant walked under moving conveyor belt.
All the conveyor belts underground have the pull-wire on one side only and not on the
other side of the installation where access is also possible.
Replace all loose bolts of main panel for shuttle car.
Ensure ventilation in battery charging bay is interlocked to the electrical supply.
Ensure telemetric fire detection system is provided for battery charging bay.
- 13 -
7.2 Improvement instruction in terms of Section 54
Ensure that all Occupational diseases are investigated.
Contractors not flagged for occupational disease investigations.
Diagnosed occupational diseases not reported on DMR 231.
Flammable gas content and release rate of coal being mine had to be determined.
Mine was instructed to install telemetry system in section.
Employees issued with only one overall per year.
Issue dust masks on mine.
7.3 Stoppage instructions in terms of Section 54
A machine was stopped for “A” class hazards indicated on the pre-use checklist
A truck found with worn tyres and indicators not working was stopped.
Stopped employees with expired certificates of fitness.
Stopped CM until ventilation has been restored.
All operation of mobile machines stopped until they have been examined for proximity
devices and signed off to be in order.
Mine stopped until change house and toilets have permanent water supply, dust masks
were issued and access to first aid equipment has been provided.
8 EXAMINATIONS
8.1 Mine Overseer Certificate of Competency
Three Mine Overseer Boards were held during February 2013.
The following persons obtained the certificate of competency:-
S D Mashiane
F C Bredenkamp
N W J Nel
C M Qudalele
8.2 Lampman’s and Onsetter’s Competency
No Boards were held during February 2013.
9. NEW LEGISLATION
No new legislation has been published.
- 14 -
10. SAFETY ACHIEVEMENTS
Nil known.
11. GENERAL
11.1 Certificates of competency examinations : Mine Surveyors and Mine Managers
Please note that the dates for these examinations are as follows:-
- Mine Surveyors
10 and 11 April 2013
- Mine Managers
6 and 9 May 2013
The venue for both the examinations is the Springbok mine village recreation club, on the
Witbank/Bethal Provincial Road.
LJA BEZUIDENHOUT
PRINCIPAL INSPECTOR
MPUMALANGA REGION
ACCIDENT DESCRIPTION – MPUMALANGA REGION
ACCIDENTS RECEIVED DURING FEBRUARY 2013
Description
1 An electrician was fatally injured when he was run over by an LHD.
2 A CM operator was caught between the CM and the sidewall and sustained multiple injuries.
He subsequently passed away.
3 He was holding a cylinder when oil splashed over him, causing him to drop the cylinder onto his
foot.
4 Whilst testing the welding machine’s earth point, the boilermaker created sparks which landed
on dry rags inside the Dragline.
5 While a person was inserting the cable head into the cable reeler; his left index finger was
pinched against the cable reeler drum by the cable head.
6 A fall of ground incident occurred.
7 His right thumb got caught between the secondary and tertiary crusher.
8 He was accidentally hit on his left thumb by a 14lb hammer.
9 The sheave bearing failed on the counterweight and the cage was stopped.
10 An employee was busy fitting a header tank on a LHD. In the process of positioning the tank
with a tommy bar, he amputated the tip of his right hand thumb.
11 A blasting incident occurred.
12 She was walking from the time office parking to the main building when she slipped and fell on
the pathway injuring her right knee.
13 A person was pushing the dumped rope of dragline into the rope socket; the dump rope slipped
out of socket and caught his hand.
14 Articulated dump truck drove over the LDV.
15 He was busy installing a scraper when it slipped and he sustained an injury to the right index
finger.
16 His finger was pinched between the sidewall and moiling point, whilst he was assisting with
moiling operations.
17 He was opening the door when the hatch came down and struck his shoulder, he sustained a
contusion to his left shoulder.
18 While he was climbing off from the conveyor structure the person stepped skew and sustained
an injury to his left foot.
19 She was walking towards a fenced off area to start bore-hole pumps, She was frightened by an
animal, when she turned around to run away, she slipped and fell.
20 He was holding onto a stringer pipe waiting for the H-frame to be placed in position; when the
H-frame was placed down on the ground, his finger was caught between the stringer pipe and
H-frame.
21 He disembarked from the bus at the strip deployment centre when he slipped and fell on the tar
road.
22 He was busy working on Articulated Dump truck putting in the articulation pin and his left hand
was crushed between the upper and bottom part of the ADT.
23 A CM operator was injured when a piece of sand stone dislodged from the roof and struck him
whilst busy tramming.
24 He slipped on the chain conveyor and extended his arms to try and cushion his fall, but
unfortunately fell on his left fore arm.
25 They were lifting the steel egg grating on the one side, which was on top of the reactor tank, in
the process the steel egg grating slipped off the steel structure and fell inside the reactor tank
and struck him.
26 His left hand got caught between the pulley and the V-belt resulting in an amputation to the left
middle finger.
27 He was standing on the ladder with 2 colleagues supporting the ladder, whilst a tractor was
passing by the bumper of the tractor hooked the sling as a result the sling
pick up slack knock him from the ladder to the ground.
28 A piece of coal dislodged from the side wall and struck him on his left lower back and fell
with face onto the floor.
29 On main conveyor belt I101 a pulley bearing failed causing the buildup of heat, resulting that
the grease inside the bearing ignited.
30 He was moving the CLA’s of the CM, his right hand fingers got caught between the CLA’s
causing fractures to both fingers.
31 The roof bolter operator injured her left little finger while removing the drill steel from the roof
bolter drill chuck.
32 His gum boot caught on a torque indicator, he lost his balance and fell over backwards and fell
with his left hand side on a trailer.
33 He was replacing the drill rod back to its position on a overburden drill and his right index
finger was pinched.
34 Methane was detected at 1.7-1.8% and 0.2%.
35 A roof bolter was busy installing roof bolts when a piece of the roof came down and struck him
on his cheek.
36 He was busy fitting the equalizer pin on shuttle car and the portable power jack slacked and
wedged his left hand inside the hole of the equalizer causing the injury.
37 During maintenance of the main winder it was found that the drive drum shaft is cracked at the
non-drive end drum flange.