https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / Statements RSS ← Back
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Embed Video

Solidarity: Mine fatalities already 22,2% more this year

Solidarity: Mine fatalities already 22,2% more this year

28th July 2016

SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

Font size: -+

/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Trade union Solidarity said today that the number of mine fatalities that have occurred this year is already 22,2% more that the number of deaths recorded over the same time period last year.

According to preliminary statistics of the Department of Mineral Resources, 55 mineworkers have died in South African mines this year, compared with 45 workers in the same period last year.

Advocate Paul Mardon, head of Solidarity’s division for occupational health and safety, said that 2016 was a challenging year for the mining industry due to the demands of the economy on the sustainability of the sector.

In addition, the increase in retrenchments at mines this year has also resulted in decreased focus and concentration of workers. Both the economic challenges and challenges in terms of health and safety have brought the mining industry at a crossroads and new and innovative thinking is needed to ensure the sustainability of the industry,” Mardon said.

General accidents, including drownings, slips and falls and exposure to dust, gas and fumes have largely contributed to the fatalities. “Fall of ground and the incorrect handling of machinery also constitute some of the main causes of mine fatalities in South Africa,” Mardon said.

About 47% of the 55 mine fatalities that have already occurred this year, occurred at gold mines, while 31% occurred at platinum mines. The remaining accidents occurred at coal mines and at other mines.

Mardon said the Lily Mine disaster in February this year re-emphasised the importance of safety in mines. “However, accidents such as that one are largely preventable. Therefore, we call on mining companies and workers to comply with safety measures at all times, thereby preventing similar accidents,” Mardon said.

 

Advertisement

Issued by Solidarity

To watch Creamer Media's latest video reports, click here
 
Advertisement

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE

To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comment Guidelines

 

About

Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Engineering News
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa

Read more

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options
Free daily email newsletter Register Now