The demand for minerals is not slowing down, and more and more people are employed in the high-risk mining industry worldwide. Health and safety should be considered one of the top priorities of any mining venture. Any safety issues that force a shutdown can negatively affect the bottom line, and take their toll on the human resources department and individuals at risk. Although lost time events are trending downward within the industry, there is still always room for improvement, and Mineware’s data-driven management software is playing its part in making this sector safer. 

What exactly do we mean by mine health & safety?  

The Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate was established in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996). The aim is to carry out the constitutional mandate of the Department of Mineral Resources in order to  protect and safeguard the health and safety of mine employees and communities affected by mining operations.

Under the MHSA, the primary responsibility for ensuring a healthy and safe working environment in mines rests on the employer or mine owner. 

Pull quoteEmployers must do what is reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of persons employed in mines, as well as others who may be affected by mining activities. In order to comply, the employer must establish and maintain an ongoing system of risk management (MHSA)> 

Mining issues, health hazards, and generic safety and management issues are classified as follows, according the Act :

• Falls of ground Hazards
• Transport
• Other Mining Hazards
• Flammable gas and coal dust hazards
• Occupational Health Hazards and Provisions
• Risk Assessment,
• Health and Safety management

All these risk sectors need to be monitored and controlled in order to ensure the overall health and safety of miners working above and below ground. 

Mineware software enables overviews of safety hazards

One of the challenges facing mine health and safety overall,  is the sheer number of moving parts that need to be monitored and coordinated on a daily basis, often leading to large gaps in data monitoring. Mineware’s safety suite ensures the efficiency of this process by drawing relevant live data from various departments into one user-friendly interface. This data can then be analyzed by relevant managers and personnel and used to mitigate risk on a continuous basis. 

Pull quote

The safety suite can be implemented to incorporate all available Mineware safety modules or just one, depending on the needs of the organization. It can be linked to the production module, enabling the safety department to schedule audits on planned workplaces as well as ad-hoc safety audits on surface workplaces and engineering workplaces.

Should monitoring systems not be in place, data can be entered manually. Data is then displayed in one simple graphics-driven interface that is easy to interpret.

Risk compliance scores are calculated for every workplace by drawing input from various critical measuring points. This suite combines the Risk Model, OCR (optical character recognition) scanning module , Inspection Module, Incident Investigation module as well as the Action Manager. This software package can be customized to suit any client’s requirements, and greatly enhances safety control over all levels of an operation.

Improve your mine’s day-to-day safety record and manage your long-term risk more effectively with Mineware’s purpose-written safety suite software.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
https://www.mineware.co.za/
+27 11 888 2116

By Esther van der Vyver