Duncan Adams Rock Engineering Rock related safety in South African mines— are we making progress? Duncan Adams 19 April 2012 Duncan Adams Rock Engineering

Duncan Adams Rock Engineering

Rock related safety in South African mines—

are we making progress?

Duncan Adams

19 April 2012




Annual fatality rates for South African mines

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

Year

Fa

talit

y r

ate

/10

00

wo

rke

rs

All Gold Coal Platinum

Au - 134k Pt - 182k Coal - 76k


• MINING INDUSTRY TRIPARTITE SAFETY TARGETS AND MILESTONES

• OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY • Industry Target: Zero rate of fatalities and injuries• Milestones:

– In the Gold Sector: By 2013 achieve safety performance levels equivalent to current international bench marks for underground metalliferous mines, at the least;

– In the Platinum, Coal and Other Sectors: By 2013 achieve constant and continuous improvement equivalent to current international benchmarks, at the least.


Projected Future Fatality rates for SA Gold Mines Compared to International Benchmark

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Year

Fa

talit

ies

/mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rke

d

Gold (SA)International Benchmark (Aus, Canada & US)Gold Actual

Intern. Benchmark2003 level0,15

SA Gold2004 level0,28

2013 benchmark – 0,05


Projected Annual Fatality rates for South African mines Improving at 20 % per annum

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Year

Fa

talit

ies

/mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rke

d

Coal Platinum Intern. Benchmark Platinum Actual Coal Actual

2013 benchmark – 0,03

Intern. Benchmark

2003 level – 0,08


Fat

alit

ies/

mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rked

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

Fatality rates in all South African Mines

Rockfalls Rockbursts Machinery Transport


0

50

100

150

200

250

30019

84

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

No

. o

f F

ata

liti

es

Year

Rock Related Fatalities 1984 to 2011

Seismic

Gravity


0102030405060

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Percentage of Rock Related and Seismic Related Fatalities of Total Fatalities Per Year

Rock Related FatalitiesSeismic Related Fatalities


Proportion of Rock Related Fatalities (2011)

28%

3%

69%

RockfallsRockburstsOther


0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Fatality rate in all South African mines

Rockfalls Rockbursts

Fat

alit

ies

/mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rked


0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

Fatality rate in the platinum mining sector


Fat

alit

ies

/mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rked


0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

Fatality rate in the coal mining sector

Fall of roof Rockbursts/Strainbursts

Fat

alit

ies/

mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rked


0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

0.2

Fatality rate in the gold mining sector


Fat

alit

ies

/mill

ion

ho

urs

wo

rked


Incidents resulting in 4 or more fatalities

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

Year

Nu

mb

er o

f in

cid

ents

0

50

100

150

200

250

Nu

mb

er o

f fa

tali

ties

All Incidents

RockburtIncidents

All Fatalities

RockburstFatalities

Kinross177 Ermelo 34

& St Helena 62

Vaal Reefs104

Rovic20

Middelbult53


0500

100015002000250030003500400045005000

0 1000000 2000000 3000000 4000000 5000000 6000000 7000000

Cu

mu

lati

ve R

ock

Re

late

d F

ata

litie

s

Cumulative Underground Labour

Cumulative Fatalities(all rock-gold) vs Cumulative Gold Underground Labour (1984 -2010)

1984

1998

2003 2010


Cumulative Rockburst Fatals vs Cumulative Tons Treated(Gold) - 1984 to 2010

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

0 500000 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 3000000

Cumulative Kilo Tons

Cu

mu

lati

ve F

atal

itie

s

1 fatality per 1.16 million tons treated


2008



1994

1984


Cumulative Underground Labour vs Cumulative Tons Treated(Gold) - 1984 to 2010

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

0 500000 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 3000000

Cumulative Kilo Tons

Cu

mu

lati

ve L

abo

ur

2968 people per million tons1989

1984

2381 people per million tons

2083 people per million tons1999

30% improvement


Cumulative Rock Related Fatalities vs Cumulative Labour(Platinum) (2000-2010)

0

50

100

150

200

250

0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000 1400000 1600000 1800000

Cumulative Labour

Cu

mu

lati

ve R

ock

R

elat

ed F

atal

itie

s

2004 2007

2000

2010


Cumulative Rock Related Fatalities vs Cumulative Tons of PGMs (2000-2010)

0

50

100

150

200

250

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Cumulative Tons of PGMs

Cu

mu

lati

ve R

ock

R

elat

ed F

atal

itie

s

2004

2000

2010


Reasons for Improvements in Rock Related Safety

• Political – change in government– Leon Commission(1995)– Mine Health and Safety Act(1996)

• Tripartism (Unions, DMR and Employers)• Employers – Chamber of Mines• Suppliers – better support• Rock Engineering fraternity • Targets and Milestones (2003)• The Mining Charter(2004 & 2010)• CoM MOSH Learning Hub(2010)


CoM Learning Hub• Identify leading practices in the

industry related to health and safety and facilitate wide-spread adoption in the industry

• Three leading practices for rockfall prevention have been identified– Entry examination and making safe– Netting with bolting in tabular stope

faces– Trigger Action Response Plan

(TARP)


05

10152025303540

Pe

rce

nta

ge

129 Rock Related Fatalities


Possibilities • Three leading practices in various stages of

use in the industry may have prevented 74 fatalities – Correct entry exam/barring – 16 fatalities– TARP – 46 Fatalities– Netting with bolting – 12 Fatalities

• A worrying 48 rock related fatalities may have been due to a lack of permanent support or temporary support


In Conclusion

ZERO HARM



Benchmark for Negligible Risk

• Annual Frequency of a fatality by natural causes of a young American aged between 10 and 14, which represents the lowest health risk population group.

• This annual frequency is 10-4 or 1 fatality in 10000 young people or 0.1 per 1000


South African Mining Rates

• Coal 0.32 per 1000 workers• Platinum 0.24 per 1000 workers• Gold 0.45 per 1000 workers• All Mines 0.28 per 1000 workers

• What happens when we get below 0.1?• Do we continue to insist on trying to achieve zero

and compete with the airline industry?• Workers may be far safer at work than at home!


Thank you

Documents

Duncan Adams Rock Engineering Rock related safety in South African mines— are we making progress? Duncan Adams 19 April 2012 Duncan Adams Rock Engineering