Coal Safe 2024 – safeguarding today while enabling a sustainable tomorrow” (part 1)

By Sharyn Macnamara

Safety trends moving in the right direction, successful ESG programmes, celebrated awards for safety excellence and a focus on challenges for the year ahead were all the order of the day, under the banner of “Safeguarding today while enabling a sustainable tomorrow” at COAL SAFE 2024.

Run by the voluntary South African Colliery Managers’ Association (SACMA), an insightful COAL SAFE 2024 conference was held on 9 May with representatives from government, labour and industry represented. COAL SAFE chair, Dolly Masilela said, “The purpose of COAL SAFE has always been to ensure that ‘Every mine worker returns home unharmed’.” Although the South African coal industry’s Health and Safety statistics are starting to reflect that this endeavour is indeed achievable through the industry’s commitment and collaboration, the industry’s message was clear at the event – Zero Harm is a work in progress and there is more work to be done.

Honouring fallen colleagues

A minute of silence marked the opening of this year’s conference by Murray Houston, CEO of Glencore – a stark reminder of the harsh reality of the risk and hazards faced by the mining industry on a daily basis. In that moment, one could hear a pin drop in the auditorium with over 1 000 industry stakeholders with heavy hearts who honoured the memories of their fallen colleagues in the South African coal mining industry.

Houston noted that during the last 10 years, the coal industry had suffered between four and 11 fatalities annually. “We remember and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of their livelihoods. Every shift, every day, every week, every month and every year, our colleagues come to work contributing their skills, dedicating themselves to mining the coal and essential resources required both globally and here at home. Their commitment fuels industry and powers our homes, playing a positive role in the world. Their work is a testament to their unwavering commitment to providing for their families, to contributing to all of our businesses, to supporting our industry as well as South Africa’s economy. Having too many times witnessed the harsh reality of the mining industry, where accidents or disasters have claimed the lives of colleagues, Zero Harm remains our single-minded goal.”

Moving forward, Houston urged the audience to “re-double efforts” to create a safer and more sustainable workplace and environment by first and foremost taking responsibility for the safety of ‘self and all’, constantly improving safety standards, investing more in better training and safer equipment, consistently reviewing and improving processes and procedures, learning from one another and sharing knowledge, and making use of best practices and procedures that work. “It is a moral imperative and a duty,” he said.

COAL SAFE’s legacy

It was precisely this ethical mandate that led to the creation of the COAL SAFE platform itself, said Londolani Rampfumedzi, SACMA president, taking to the podium. He paid tribute to the legacy of the COAL SAFE conference, which hails from the late 1980s and has since become an annual staple of the HSEC calendar. Bearing testament to the value and the impact of the conference, Rampfumedzi, pointed out that this year the event was unable to accommodate all registrations due to capacity constraints, however a live-streaming feature of the now hybrid conference offered those who were unable to make it to the in-person event an opportunity to take part online – this increased the audience by an additional 200 connections, some of which where large group viewings.

Rampfumedzi added that the success of COAL SAFE as a platform was without a doubt due to the Tripartite structure’s involvement, “led from the front by David Msiza, chief inspector of mines at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), together with the support of the entire workforce, our principals and employers from the different mining houses and our service providers”. All stakeholders, he noted, had been instrumental in the conference’s past success and present evolution.

He said, “Coal Safe as a brand must continue to support and empower the management office at the coal face within the current realities facing the industry” – including among others, issues like compliance to health and safety standards and regulations, concurrent rehabilitation of operations with a focus on mine closure, management of water resources and surrounding ecosystems, implementation of Social and Labour Plans (SLPs) in the communities and empowering SMMES, reduction of the industry’s carbon footprint, introduction of technology advancements and implementation of digitalisation and AI, prioritising supporting the well being of the workforce with a special focus on mental health.

Rampfumedzi noted that the 2024 SACMA council agreed to drive five focus areas in 2024: to maintain the professionalism and integrity of mine managers, empowering them to take responsibility and protect the health and safety of all employees at all times; to continue regular stakeholder engagements, both regionally and nationally; to lead from the front in the health and safety conversation; to continue to share knowledge through effective communication and to empower SACMA members to operate safely and sustainably.

Protecting the coal mining family

In his keynote address, DMRE chief inspector of mines David Msiza, highlighted the close collaboration of the department with SACMA and he implored the coal fraternity present to consider the industry in the light of “family – to be vigilant and not to be complacent” in the face of the hazardous nature of mining and the risk the “family” faces daily.

Mzisa commended the coal sector on its recent and past efforts to improve the health and safety of its employees, against the backdrop of the positive health statistics he presented where there had been a significant improvement in coal sector airborne pollutant exposure, which, in turn, has significantly reduced the amount of silicosis and pneumoconiosis cases. He also praised industry interventions to combat pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and HIV, with the majority of the sector having been screened to date. Additionally, he commended the sector on its interventions which have driven a downward trend of noise-induced hearing loss cases in the industry.

He emphasised that the department would continue to work with the industry to achieve Zero Harm, saying, “The key focus areas for collaboration must remain the eradication of fatalities, injuries and diseases.” Areas to be bolstered in particular were change management – for instance, when positive commodity prices increase, and mining pressure and activity increases, and during phases of technology adoption.

Mzisa also pointed out that the department was working on timely adoption of leading practices and new 4IR tech, like the newly instituted PDS systems, regulated in 2022, which he said has led to a 60% reduction in transport related injuries. He noted that the South African coal industry had also fared favourably in a benchmark against international safety standards – despite the complexity of deeper mining in the country. Sadly, however, despite a reduction in Falls of Ground (FOG) induced fatalities, he pointed out the regression in fatalities in the coal sector last year. Six fatalities were reported in the industry in 2022 – the safest year on record – versus eight in 2023. He was at pains to emphasise, that these are not stats, but fallen family members, saying, “clearly we have not arrived” when it comes to safety. He noted that more work must be done in, among other areas, workforce transport guidelines where the Minerals Council South Africa had already made commendable headway with regards suggested risk mitigation measures to prevent road accidents in heavy traffic areas where mines are forced to transport minerals due to the lack of rail availability in the country. Certificates of competency in the industry, were also an area of concern for him, where pass rates of learners have been low. It was clear that Zero Harm, although within reach, requires work on many levels and collaboration must continue.

 

Taking accountability, leading from the top

Guest speaker Dr Nombasa Tsengwa, CEO of Exxaro Resources, echoed Mzisa’s sentiments, noting that consistency is key. She said safety is a life-time responsibility – it is imperative that the industry gets to the root cause of all incidents to eradicate repeat incidents. “Mental health is a new focal point for all, when it comes to avoiding lapses in concentration while working in hazardous environments,” she said.

In the ESG space, she noted that Exxaro is, as are many of the mining houses, focused on reducing its carbon footprint to “leave the world a better place than we found it”. Mining houses do not just mine minerals, but “they power possibilities,” and this is clear where many coal mining companies have in fact invested in extensive renewable power projects.

Tsengwa added that Exxaro is committed to inspire self-leadership from the ground up in their quest for Zero Harm, that safety requires personal responsibility and accountability, however, she emphasised, “Safety starts where I am, at leadership level. I am accountable.”

Watch this space in African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror’s August issue for Part 2 in this series of articles on safety in the South African coal mining sector.

Continue to part 2…

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