Johannesburg - Anglo American Platinum says a fall of ground at its Rustenburg East mine has resulted in the death of a staff member.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the platinum miner says the incident happened last Friday. The company has not named the miner.
Amplats CEO Chris Griffith extends the company’s condolences to the miner’s family, friends and colleagues. The company says an independent and comprehensive investigation into the incident is under way to understand the circumstances and learn from them to create a safer work environment for all.
Towards the end of last month, trade union Solidarity said the number of mine fatalities that had occurred this year was already 22.2 percent higher than the number of deaths in the first 7 months of 2015.
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Citing preliminary statistics from the Department of Mineral Resources, it notes 55 mineworkers died in South African mines in the first 7 months of 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 also resulted in decreased focus and concentration by 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 percent of the 55 mine fatalities this year occurred at gold mines, while 31 percent occurred at platinum mines. The remaining accidents occurred at coal mines and at other mines.
Sibanye Gold is buying Amplats’ ailing Rustenburg mines for R4.5 billion as the Anglo American unit seeks to focus on high quality assets and to become a mechanised operator with high margins following a review of its assets in 2012, which found the operations were unsustainable.
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