SAFETY
NOVEMBER 2020
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WORKING TOWARDS A SAFER SA
SELF-DRIVING CARS
Are you ready for AI on the roads?
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The post-COVID-19 workplace
How safe are
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hat was supposed to be just another ordinary sunny morning for the Jackaroo community in Emalahleni on 4 February 2020, turned into a morning of terror. A 2-year old girl lived through one of the most traumatic experiences of her life when her parents’ vehicle collided with a train at a level crossing. Thankfully, the family survived but this was not the last time that an incident occurred in Emalahleni. Four months later, a truck driver miscalculated could the speed of an oncoming train and crashed into the train at a railway crossing on the R544 near ‘Pap en Vleis’. Level crossing occurrences are sadly becoming the norm in South Africa. Motorists often miscalculate the speed of a train on a railway line and underestimate the distance it takes for a train to stop in an emergency. How fast a train will stop depends on a myriad of factors such as: the speed of the train when the brakes are applied, the track’s incline, the number of coaches hooked behind the locomotives and the loading of those coaches, the brake delay inherent in the train’s hydraulic system and the weather. These miscalculations often have fatal consequences. Furthermore, there is a rise in the number of people illegally crossing railway lines and many do not know that they could potentially be criminally charged with trespassing. When people illegally cross the railway lines, they invariably increase their potential risk of being struck by trains. The increase on level crossings does not undermine the other factors such as fallouts from road user behaviour. Instead, it amplifies the fact that communities no longer respect railways and its environment which are embedded with potentially fatal risks. So, what is a level crossing? In layman’s terms, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) defines a level crossing as a crossing point between a public road and railway
line. Based on occurrence reports from operators, there were over 20 fatalities and close to 60 injuries recorded due to level crossing occurrences in the past year. Most of the level crossing risks that occurred in the reporting period arose from road user behaviour. Other factors that can contribute to level crossing occurrences include collisions between rolling stock (trains) and road vehicles (including motor vehicles, bicycles and animal-drawn vehicles) at a recognised level crossing on a running line; collisions between rolling stock and road vehicles on any line other than a running line (including yards, sidings and private sidings) at a recognised level crossing; persons struck by rolling stock at a recognised level crossing; and persons struck by rolling stock at a recognised road level crossing. The North West (20%), KwaZulu-Natal (17%), Western Cape (16%), Gauteng (14%), and Mpumalanga (11%) provinces accounted for approximately 78 per cent of all level crossing occurrences during the 2019/20 reporting period. The RSR cautions pedestrians, commuters and motorists to always expect a train at a level crossing. Trains take a long time to stop. Look both ways when approaching the tracks and never try to beat an approaching train. The mere fact of being within the railway environment unauthorised also contributes to theft and vandalism of railway assets, so avoid railway lines if possible. Always listen carefully for a train when approaching a level crossing. Stop if directed to do so and if there is no train, cross straight to the other side of the track. Above all, always remember, where there is a track, there is a train. Your life matters. Take responsibility for it and obey the rules of the road.
2020/10/22 12:19 PM
F ROM T HE EDI T OR
Staying safe in dangerous times
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ealth and safety have never been more important concepts than now in 2020. With a pandemic sweeping the globe, industries of all kinds are preoccupied with how best to protect employees from the disease and how to ensure everyone’s safety. With COVID-19 in mind, we take a look at the mining sector and how it has ensured the health of its employees as well as the measures used to ensure that all employees come to “Zero Harm”. Mining is not the only sector where employees are at risk from the virus, due to having to work in close quarters. Level one lockdown sees some airports opening for international flights – and these venues, filled as they are with staff and passengers – are likely to become COVID-19 hotspots.
SAFETY PUBLISHED BY
In this issue, we look at the measures, technologies and solutions being instituted by the Airports Company of SA to keep all parties safe. Of course, there is far more to safety than worrying about a deadly virus, and we report on some of the major safety issues in the road and automotive space. This includes the controversial AARTO legislation – will it actually improve road safety or if it is just another way for traffic departments to make money? We also look at how technologies such as AI and IoT can improve long-distance driver safety.
Rodney Weidemann
CONTENTS
Picasso Headline, a proud division of Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road), Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193 Postal Address: PO Box 12500, Mill Street, Cape Town, 8010 www.businessmediamags.co.za Editor: Rodney Weidemann Content Manager: Raina Julies rainaj@picasso.co.za Contributors: Simon Foulds, Monique Verduyn Copy Editor: Brenda Bryden Content Co-ordinator: Vanessa Payne Digital Editor: Stacey Visser vissers@businessmediamags.co.za DESIGN Head of Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson Senior Designer: Mfundo Archie Ndzo Advert Designer: Bulelwa Sotashe Cover: Christian Meurer/istock.com SALES Project Manager: Bongani Matwa bonganim@picasso.co.za | +27 21 469 2466 | 076 251 4590 Sales: Dan Burman PRODUCTION Production Editor: Shamiela Brenner Advertising Co-ordinator: Monique Sauls Subscriptions and Distribution: Fatima Dramat, fatimad@picasso.co.za MANAGEMENT Management Accountant: Deidre Musha Business Manager: Lodewyk van der Walt General Manager, Magazines: Jocelyne Bayer
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ROAD SAFETY Will the AARTO proposed driver demerit system improve road safety?
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AI ON THE ROADS A look at how effective AI and the IoT is in reducing road traffic accidents
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MINING The sector has introduced additional precautions to protect employees from becoming infected by COVID-19 while it continues to practice safety protocols to ensure “Zero Harm”
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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY With so many employees working from home, where does the employer’s responsibility stop and start?
Copyright: Picasso Headline. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material. Safety is published by Picasso Headline. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Picasso Headline. All advertisements/ advertorials have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publisher.
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ROA D S A F E T Y
How can we make SA’s roads safer?
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s South Africa’s accident rate spirals out of control, the question remains: should more laws be implemented to make roads safer, or is it a case of simply providing better training for law enforcement officers and introducing more punitive measures for drivers? “South African drivers do not always give road safety the priority that they should. A culture of breaking road laws and driving recklessly has developed among road users,” says Eugene Herbert, managing director at Masterdrive. “Everyone needs to commit to improving road safety,” he adds. “Government must ensure that road regulation is enforced and penalties are given, while businesses should ensure that all their employees are properly trained and follow a culture of road safety. Lastly, the individual needs to do their part by ensuring that they are competent, courteous and respectful of road regulations. “Law enforcement training differs between various law enforcement agencies, causing possible problems when enforcing the law. However, all road violations should be taken seriously. Every road regulation transgression can result in tragedy and should never be underestimated.
DID YOU KNOW?
The worst countries to drive in according to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
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Country
road deaths (per 100 000)
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Libya
73.4
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Venezuela
45.1
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Thailand
36.2
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Malawi
35.0
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Liberia
33.7
According to the WHO, low-income countries make up just 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles, yet have experienced around 13 per cent of all deaths.
“There is always room for improvement. Ideally, regular refresher training should be undertaken.” A fully trained driver is equipped to handle everything South African roads and road-users can throw at them,
says Herbert. They avoid reckless behaviour, identify potentially dangerous situations and can react timeously and appropriately when an obstacle or situation becomes dangerous on the road.
“All road violations should be taken seriously. Every road regulation transgression can result in tragedy and should never be underestimated.” – Eugene Herbert, managing director, Masterdrive
WILL AARTO’S NEW DEMERIT SYSTEM IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY? The latest draft regulations outlining AARTO’s new demerit system were published for comment during the last week of September. The Road Freight Association’s (RFA) chief executive Gavin Kelly says that the RFA has always supported better road safety for all road users. He adds that the association has commented regularly on the proposed implementation of AARTO. The RFA has made several suggestions relating to a simpler, effective, safety-focused and more manageable implementation of a demerit point system and the related objectives of the proposed AARTO approach to better road safety. “We do not support a system predicated on revenue generation,” says Kelly. “We further reject a system that is – in nature – designed to make compliance costly, complicated, onerous to obey and a real threat to business sustainability. Similar licence demerit point schemes around the world are aimed at changing bad behaviour. We are not convinced that – following the
The RFA has made several suggestions relating to a simpler, effective, safety-focused and more manageable implementation of a demerit point system.
recent regulation amendments and proposals during 2019 – that this is the true intent of the AARTO approach.” Earlier this year, the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula was very quick to note the huge successes during the 2019 festive season road safety state of affairs. This initiative targeting road safety and traffic policing was implemented without any AARTO system being in place. Therefore, no huge costs were incurred by citizens to fund tribunals, demerit point and notice administration systems and there was no convoluted redirection (and refusal thereof) of notices. “New draft regulations have just been published for public comment. Once our members have had a chance to review these, we will be in a position to confirm whether the minister has taken cognisance of what we have raised, the workable solutions we have forwarded, and addressed the concerns around revenue generation and improving the state of road safety. We will be voicing our stance and position regarding the new proposals as required by the latest call for public comment in due course,” Kelly concludes.
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Road traffic accidents are on the rise. What needs to be done to improve road safety? SIMON FOULDS reports
FAST FACT
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A I ON T HE ROA D S
AI CAN SAVE LIVES ON THE ROADS Technology is a game-changer, but can it be used effectively to make road travel safer? By SIMON FOULDS
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dvanced driver assistance systems installed into long-distance trucks are revolutionising road safety in many ways, but what safety options do they offer? “Technology can enhance risk identification and offer the ability to provide insights that may not be traditionally available,” says Clay Colegate, business development and strategic accounts manager at DriveRisk. Technology has advanced significantly over the past five years. But, without a solid foundation or platform to work off, artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT) or camera technologies can only offer a limited amount of value. “Technology can provide comprehensive driver safety programmes: encompassing
driver behaviour, fatigue management and collision-avoidance technologies. The ability to provide drivers with real-time feedback on risky driving incidents in conjunction with audible and visual alerts could significantly reduce the likelihood of incidents and accidents occurring,” Colegate explains. Closing the loop on behavioural risk management through a driver coaching platform provides fleet operators with the opportunity to engage with their drivers. This can enable operators to implement safety strategies that address current risks, proactively preventing repetition of collisioncausing incidents. AI and the IoT are game-changers in improving road safety, but have, says Colegate, not yet fully been utilised to their maximum
“Technology can enhance risk identification and offer the ability to provide insights that may not be traditionally available.” – Clay Colegate, business development and strategic accounts manager, DriveRisk
potential. “Providing these insights and real-time risk identification of behaviour is only as powerful as how you interpret and apply the information. The true benefit is through engagement with service providers who can analyse the data and put it into context so that operators can improve the overall safety of their drivers and, ultimately, the general driving public.”
IOT IS CHANGING DRIVER BEHAVIOUR Insurance companies and fleet operators use IoT sensors to monitor driver behaviour at a granular level. This includes tracking things like speeding, excessive braking and more. By actively monitoring and managing the behavioural risks that are the root cause of collisions, they can quickly implement measures to help change driver behaviour in a positive manner. Source: McKinsey report on Digital ecosystems for insurers: Opportunities through the Internet of Things
SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES – ARE THEY REALLY SAFE?
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urrently, SA laws essentially cater for circumstances where only humans are licenced to drive vehicles on South African roads. However, if provision was made for self-driving cars, would they be safer? Can we trust a computer to drive our car, especially if it runs the risk of being hacked? Lucien Pierce, a partner at Phukubje Pierce Masithela Attorneys, says that with cybercrime increasing daily, the risk of hacks affecting a self-driving vehicle (SDV) network is very real. “One piece of new, but little known, legislation is the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act. This may go some way to help reduce vulnerabilities in the type of infrastructure that SDVs may rely on,” he explains. Telecommunications networks and the electricity grid would form part of this critical infrastructure.
South Africa’s Consumer Protection Act also provides legislated protection for product liability, but all those involved in the chain of producing a product may need to consider how they protect themselves in the event of SDVs experiencing catastrophic failures.
WHAT ABOUT PRIVACY? “SDVs will be collecting sensitive information
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED According to Lucien Pierce, a partner at Phukubje Pierce Masithela Attorneys, SDVs are highly dependent on communications networks. 5G technology is the best wireless communications for autonomous
about their passengers: people may be travelling to hospital and wish to keep such visits private or journalists may be travelling to meet a confidential source. What happens if the SDV’s systems are compromised allowing people’s movements to be tracked or traced? “The Protection of Personal Information Act certainly provides broad privacy protections, but may need to be enhanced to provide more specific protections or guidance to address SDVs,” says Pierce. “We also need the Cybercrimes Bill to be passed into law as soon as possible because, as we become more dependent on communications and communications infrastructure, we need to have laws in place that make it easier to prosecute those criminals that use technology for nefarious purposes,” he explains.
vehicles as the required signals are capable of being transmitted at much faster speeds than earlier types. This is critical because autonomous vehicles need to receive real-time updates on the status of the roads on which they are travelling.
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SIBA N Y E-S T IL LWAT ER
A DV ER T ORI A L
SAFETY, THE Sibanye-Stillwater WAY How Sibanye-Stillwater practises “Zero Harm” principles and measures every day
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ero Harm is very much the watchword in the mining industry today, focusing on the aspirational goal all mining operations strive for: enabling every employee to go home unharmed every day. This approach is vital in a dangerous industry. The goal is to limit fatalities and injuries as much as possible. Shadwick Bessit, Executive Vice President for Gold Operations, Sibanye-Stillwater, explains that to achieve this goal, every employee and contractor must be empowered and enabled to act safely. “In an enabled environment, risk exposure is reduced by consistent, constant attention to maintaining a safe workplace with the required equipment, tools, and material that empower every person to deliver sustainable, safe production. We are committed to ensuring that everyone working in our facilities has the appropriate resources, training and personal protective equipment to work safely,” he says. Furthermore, he continues, the company also expects employees to take ownership of health and safety, to comply with standards and procedures, and to immediately withdraw and report any unhealthy or dangerous situation. “There are three key pillars within our safety strategy: an enabling environment, empowered
people, and fit-for-purpose systems. The first of these is focused on real risk reduction in the workplace. Risk exposure is reduced by providing a safe working environment. This, in turn, is achieved through the elimination of hazards and careful rockmass management – a large number of injuries are caused by falls of ground, either gravity operations or seismic-induced. “In the second pillar, the focus is on empowering our people by both allowing and encouraging them to exercise their right to withdraw from a dangerous situation, and by ensuring they are properly informed, educated
“There are three key pillars within our safety strategy: an enabling environment, empowered people, and fit-for-purpose systems.” – Shadwick Bessit, Executive Vice President for Gold Operations, Sibanye-Stillwater. 6
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and trained to recognise hazards and to take immediate action to mitigate these risks.” Bessit says that this pillar ensures that the required number of trained employees are available in the workplace to apply the relevant standards and procedures related to safety, thereby creating a culture of making valuesbased decisions. These decisions, he adds, are based on the principles of Commitment, Accountability, Respect, Enabling and Safety (CARES), which reflects Sibanye-Stillwater’s approach to its work, its people and the communities around the mine. “It also takes into account the rules and procedures required to safeguard employees and focuses on instilling a safety mindset – where individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for both their own and their colleagues’ safety.
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A DV ER T ORI A L
In June 2020, Sibanye-Stillwater’s Gold Segment recorded an unparalleled record for ultra-deep level mining – some 13 million fatality-free shifts over a close to two-year period.
A DV ER T ORI A L
“The third pillar is about international best practice principles and systems to support our drive aimed at inculcating safe production, leadership and culture. It also encompasses systems of continuous learning, risk assessment and risk reduction.”
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SAFETY RECORD IMPROVES AND NEW COVID-19 PROTOCOLS INTRODUCED Bessit points out that two years ago, Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold division did not have a particularly auspicious year around safety: losing 21 colleagues in what was the worst year since the company’s inception. “This was a real wake-up call for us and ‘zero harm’ came to the fore as we prioritised saving both lives and jobs. We also pledged not to look the other way – if anyone sees something wrong or witnesses someone doing something wrong, they have pledged to speak up. “Our Zero Harm Strategic Framework was developed and implemented in 2018, in collaboration with organised labour and the Department of Mineral Resources in South Africa. It emphasises our CARES values as the basis for decision-making.” Bessit adds that the good news is that the journey after this was quite spectacular in terms of the company’s safety record. In June 2020, Sibanye-Stillwater’s Gold Segment recorded an unparalleled record for ultra-deep level mining – some 13 million fatality-free shifts over a close to two-year period. “This massive achievement is a direct result of the three pillars of our safety strategy,” he says. Currently, there is a whole new threat facing the mining industry and every other industry around the globe – the COVID-19 virus. “In this regard, we have been very proactive, putting in place protocols to prevent contraction and spread, and paying particular attention to employees who are considered to be at higher risk – those over the age of 60 and those suffering from comorbidities.
Shadwick Bessit
“There are three specific focuses we drive in the workplace concerning this disease: personal hygiene, wearing of masks and social distancing. The latter, especially, has led to us modifying our work practices.” He explains that this includes limiting the number of people in each bus when transporting workers to and from the mine hostels, limiting the numbers allowed to congregate in certain areas, and ensuring that reduced numbers are sent down in each cage with all who go down following rules such as, mask wearing and facing in the same direction to help minimise potential infection. “Even underground, the transport ‘man carriages’ have spaced seating and masks have to be worn in all confined spaces. We have placed markers to highlight the correct social distancing measures and issued all employees with masks, sanitiser and antibacterial soap with which to wash their hands. “The work environment has also been restructured to ensure compliance with these rules and we constantly communicate with staff about what is happening on the ground, the measures being taken to keep them safe and to encourage them to seek treatment if they display any symptoms,” explains Bessit. Sibanye-Stillwater’s has primary healthcare facilities where staff can go for a consultation and symptom screening. Should they test positive, isolation facilities are available.
“We also have to inform the Department of Health if someone is infected, and then we work closely with the department to identify employees who have been in contact with the infected person. They too are then quarantined to ensure they aren’t infected and cannot infect anyone else. “Psychologically speaking, the virus puts additional strain on all our employees, particularly in light of the stigma currently attached to infection,” says Bessit. There are other psychological challenges too, related to personal wellbeing and family health, plus the prospect of potential death – all of which can impact mental wellness. Therefore, we have implemented a psychological wellness programme and strongly encourage employees to make use of this system.” Communication remains the key to success, Bessit indicates, and Sibanye-Stillwater’s has made a point of communicating with its people frankly, openly and regularly, so that they are aware of the dangers and the potential impact of infection. “For example, we publish the number of positive cases and deaths caused by the virus weekly. We hope that this kind of reality check will encourage those with pre-existing conditions to inform management. We also hope it helps encourage them to participate in the wellness programme. “Ultimately, communication of this nature remains critical in ensuring we understand that we are all in this together. No one is immune, so there should be no stigma. Information is the best way to drive a greater understanding of the virus and its impact on individuals.” He suggests that Sibanye-Stillwater’s success in this arena is because the company has a history of caring for its employees and demonstrating this, so many employees are likely to listen. Furthermore, the company has plenty of experience with diseases like HIV/Aids and TB, where it has already demonstrated its caring side, so employees expect the same for COVID-19. “I believe that the fact that our infection rate has been lower than the national or even the provincial average, and that we have recently even experienced zero positives for several weeks in a row is testament to our effective strategy, policies and communication around this issue,” concludes Bessit.
For more information: www.sibanyestillwater.com
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MINING S A F E T Y
Safety remains the highest priority The mining industry experienced and reacted to the coronavirus pandemic in several ways. By RODNEY WEIDEMANN
KEY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS • Screening of employees on arrival at work • Social distancing, including reduced capacity bussing • Provision of PPE, face masks, eye protection, gloves and sanitisers • Staggered shift times to reduce bottlenecks • Limited entry numbers • regular cleaning and sanitisation of work areas • Continuous reinforcement of protocols via billboards and signage • Office employees work remotely. Source: Sibanye Stillwater
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“Sibanye-Stillwater is planning for a long road ahead. Although infection rates have dropped dramatically, we will continue to practise all related safety protocols. We offer counselling and psychological support for employees and their families and will continue to support
all stakeholders in this regard. The key focus remains on enabling a safe environment for employees by observing key protocols while ensuring the sustainability of the operations to protect livelihoods and employment,” he concludes.
“Sibanye-Stillwater is planning for a long road ahead. Although infection rates have dropped dramatically, we will continue to practise all related safety protocols.” – James Wellsted, senior vice president investor relations, Sibanye-Stillwater
ZERO HARM TO ALL
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ince its inception, 23 years ago, the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) has conducted over 400 research projects that have contributed to the improvement of the health and safety of mining employees. This has been achieved through development and revision of the legislative framework, training, promotion and knowledge transfer. All of these are steps on the path to the MHSC’s ultimate goal of “Zero Harm”. To achieve this, the organisation launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) as the first port of call for occupational health and safety issues within the sector. The CoE supports the goal of “Every Mine Worker Returning from Work Unharmed Every Day” and continues to strive for the significant reduction of occupational fatalities, injuries and diseases. The MHSC has established a fourth industrial revolution (4IR) task team to look into safety-focused technology development, focusing particularly on understanding the impact of technology on people in the South African mining sector.
“Some of the key successes include the appointment of a critical workforce that is currently assisting the MHSC in managing research, through three technical committees. Knowledge transfer and technology transfer, which has significantly improved as research outcomes are released by the MHSC. Various seed-funded projects have also been initiated with MHSC’s research outcomes, aimed at improving health and safety in the mines,” says the organisation’s spokesperson. “The CoE continues to strive for worldclass excellence by investing in knowledge and expanding its stakeholder network to include global partners. Both the MHSC and the CoE will continue working closely with stakeholders to pursue the ideal of zero harm.” Source: Mine Health and Safety Council
The MHSC has establisheD a fourth industrial revolution task team to look into safety-focused technology development.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED IN PURSUIT OF “ZERO HARM” • Prototype camera to assess rock mass condition • Development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), with functionality to: – Monitor rock mass movement – Assess air quality – Inform real-time decision-making – Provide a semi-real-time overview of the mine shafts – Conduct security surveillance – Assist search and rescue teams. Source: Mine Health and Safety Council
IMAGE: REUTERS
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n the mining industry, which is predicated on large groups of people working closely together in enclosed spaces, the impact of COVID-19 has been felt in many ways. James Wellsted, senior vice president for investor relations at Sibanye-Stillwater, says that the mining industry’s response to COVID-19 has been both proactive and engaged. “The risk posed by COVID-19 was promptly prioritised and an executive coronavirus steering committee formed. A high-level, three-pronged approach was adopted. Firstly, we developed and implemented protocols, procedures and systems to measure and identify the risks,” he explains. “Secondly, we implemented proactive measures to mitigate the risks, and lastly, we prepared for and have managed the pandemic in a way that is least disruptive to our operations.” Sibanye-Stillwater further adopted a more gradual, cautious approach to reopening operations after lockdown to ensure the safety and health of employees as much as possible, while sustaining a gradual build-up in operations. “While there have been considerable upfront and ongoing costs in preparedness for the pandemic, there have also been many positive impacts,” Wellsted says. “These include an accelerated digitisation drive, less corporate travel and more efficient virtual meetings, more constructive engagement with all stakeholders, and closer engagement with government agencies and communities.
The capacity of busses transporting miners has been reduced to minimise the risk of infection.
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THE POST-COVID-19 WORKPLACE With working from home likely to become the norm in a post-COVID-19 world, what does that mean for occupational health and safety? By MONIQUE VERDUYN
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hen the coronavirus hit our shores, a large proportion of the workforce was sent home to work remotely. And, it’s a trend that’s likely to continue. “Working from home (WFH) requires you to find the right spot in your house, regulate your working hours, have access to resources, cope with household dynamics, and manage personal interactions with colleagues and staff,” says Ilse-Marie Iding, national OHS manager, Serr Synergy. “Many people are suffering from fatigue – one of the most common causes of work-related injuries and accidents reported over the past two months.” The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act places responsibility on the employer to ensure a safe and risk-free working environment for employees. It defines a workplace as any place where an employee can perform their duties as contractually
required. So, WFH or travelling for work safely and free from harm is part of the employer’s responsibilities. The implications are different according to each business, but Iding says three common recommendations are emerging: • implementing a WFH policy defining the roles and responsibilities of the employer, manager and employee • training the employee on the risks of working from home in an unsafe manner and discussing potential solutions • providing the option to work from the office should the employee not be able to work safely from home. Iding says additional considerations include reporting of an injury on duty while WFH, exposure to ergonomic risks, geographical location of employees, infrastructure available in specific locations, size and capacity of the house, apartment or other
accommodation, and the number of people sharing premises. “OHS practitioners have to be creative because the challenge is to find a balance between the employer’s duties and the employee’s responsibilities and what is reasonable and practicable,” says Iding.
WHO IS LEADING THE WFH REVOLUTION? “If employees’ tools are a computer, mobile phone and data, they can WFH ‘forever’, provided their companies have a strong virtual technology infrastructure,” says Ilse-Marie Iding, national OHS manager, Serr Synergy. “These include financial services, consultants and marketers, legal and ICT. Some manufacturing companies are asking their administrative staff to work from home, while their production staff return to the workplace.”
“Many people are suffering from fatigue – one of the most common causes of work-related injuries and accidents reported over the past two months.” – Ilse-Marie Iding, national OHS manager, Serr Synergy
AIRPORTS ARE OPEN, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VIRUS?
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ith international travel finally on the cards again, South Africa’s airports have implemented several COVID-19-related public health requirements and regulations, which passengers and airline crew will need to follow. “Passengers have become accustomed to and comfortable with the health and safety rules and processes, most of which have already become normalised across the country,” says a spokesperson for the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). “These include compulsory mask wearing, physical distancing and hand sanitising at dozens of stations across the airport. Physical distancing is enforced by airport employees acting as COVID-19 monitors and through the display of signage and floor decals.”
IMAGE: DRAZEN ZIGIC/ ISTOCK.COM
IMAGE: DRAZEN ZIGIC/ ISTOCK.COM
OCCUPAT ION A L HE A LT H A ND SA F E T Y
SAFETY TECHNOLOGY AT AIRPORTS The security check-in process minimises physical contact: passengers place their boarding passes in front of the scanner at security and again at boarding gates. Cape Town International Airport is piloting thermal security camera systems for temperature screening. These use AI technology to provide contactless temperature screening at terminal entrances.
FAST FACT
At OR Tambo International Airport, mass screening of 6 000 employees was undertaken in April and May. Since level 5 of the lockdown, a total of 110 employees out of 38 000 normally working around the airport have tested positive for COVID-19. More crucially, there has been a 100 per cent recovery rate. Source: ACSA
Meeters and greeters are not allowed into terminal buildings, a measure that prevents the clustering of people in a manner that is typical of airports under more normal circumstances. All employees wear personal protective equipment when assisting passengers. Employees are screened when coming on and going off shift and are well-drilled in the rules and practices that keep them and the travelling public safe. Passengers are encouraged to use online check-in to minimise touching of personal identity documents and to scan their boarding passes. Compulsory health questionnaires for passengers, along with screening by port health officials, are key aspects of the effort to prevent ill people from flying.
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LOOKING BEYOND THE MINE GATE TO DEAL WITH COVID-19 WHY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL IN THE MINING INDUSTRY’S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC. During the early days of the nationwide lockdown, the mining industry recognised how important it is to safeguard our people’s lives, while also protecting their livelihoods. There is no separation between lives and livelihoods because the social, economic and mental health and safety of our people is our overarching value. It is this imperative that has driven the mining industry’s difficult choices and response to the pandemic. As an industry, we have had to sit down and thoughtfully reflect on how we might work in partnership with our employees, contractors and host communities to provide them with the support that they require during this time. In our case, as Anglo American, this is all part of what it means to re-imagine mining to improve people’s lives. It is to think of the entire chain of vulnerabilities that our people and host communities are exposed to because of this pandemic, and work with government and other partners to deal with the devastating impacts There is no question that we have a role to play in preventing and responding to, and recovering from, the Covid-19 pandemic, as we are part of the essential infrastructure that helps to provide services such as water, energy and healthcare services to our employees, their families and our host communities. Much of this work happens across the country, in towns and regions that are crucial to the sustainability of South Africa’s mining industry.
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Collaborating beyond the mine gate As the reality of the pandemic began to sink in in the month of March, it was clear to us as a company that we needed to act with great care to ensure that we do as much as we can to help those left vulnerable by the effects of the pandemic. Our first point of call was to look at the availability of the infrastructure that we, as the mining industry, develop in partnership with the government to serve our people and host communities. An honest assessment of our readiness to deal with the pandemic, from an infrastructure point of view, was necessary in helping us figure out how we would need to work together to capacitate numerous clinics, hospitals, community centres and facilities that are now playing an important role in the region’s fight against the virus. Closer to home at our operations themselves, we were clear that things had to change. If you were to take a walk around any of our operations today, you will hopefully be reassured to see the extent of measures that we have taken within and beyond the mine gate over the past two months, to mitigate the spread of the virus, bearing in mind that this is something that is new and is still changing for all of us. All of these initiatives, and many others that have been undertaken by companies in the Anglo American group and the mining industry more broadly, demonstrate that we truly are stronger, together.
2020/10/23 8:52 AM
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2020/10/22 3:28 PM
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