Gold Fields: Industrial accident claims miner’s life

A miner was killed yesterday in an industrial accident at Gold Fields’s South Deep project, south-west of Johannesburg, the company said. “Gold Fields regrets to announce that an employee… lost his life in an industrial-type accident in an underground satellite workshop at the mine,” the company said. It was the second accident of this kind at the mine in Westonaria in the past 10 days. “The previous incident, in which one employee lost his life, was also an industrial-type accident, and occurred on Saturday, May 17.” Chief executive Nick Holland said the mine was shocked by the accidents as they followed a good period of safety. “These latest incidents have expedited a recently commenced and comprehensive review of all safety protocols, procedures and standards across the mine, because if we cannot mine safely we will not mine,” he said. Holland said the company would act decisively to fix any weaknesses identified. Gold Fields shares lost 3.33 percent to R39.25 on the JSE yesterday. – Sapa