• AFRICAN BUZZ
MINERALS COUNCIL SUPPORTS TRAINING IN MINING
At the beginning of 2021 , the Minerals Council and Harmony , in partnership with RIIS , set out to identify ready-to-implement training innovations for piloting in Harmony ’ s operational context . A call for proposals resulted in the submission of solutions that feature virtual , augmented , and mixed reality solutions as well as components of gamification that could be used to revolutionise skills training in mining .
During July and August 2021 , a panel of judges composed of the Minerals Council , Harmony ’ s learning & development , technology and health & safety teams , and behaviour experts shortlisted the top six submissions . These finalists went through a final round of judging in October last year by showcasing their innovations at virtual and physical events . This culminated in the announcement of WinWin International as the showcase winner and the Boiler Room and BizAR Reality being named the first and second runners up respectively . The other finalists were Virtutec , Edutouch and sts3D .
“ The Minerals Council is looking at innovation and modernisation not just from a technology perspective , but importantly also to support social and business model change – moving from purely engineering-led innovation to people-centred innovation ,” said Sietse van der Woude , a senior executive of Modernisation and Safety at the Minerals Council .
“ The Minerals Council recognises that innovative approaches to training and learning , leveraging cognitive and behavioural sciences , enhances the effectiveness of training delivery through improved understanding , better retention , increasing motivation , and embedding positive behaviours . These trends , in combination with 4IR technologies , have great potential to improve healthy and safe production outcomes ,” said Van der Woude .
“ Extended Reality , Virtual Reality , Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality technologies allow employees to learn in a safe environment while being fully immersed and interacting with virtual information in real-time as they encounter their physical environment – such as equipment or hazards , among others ,” said Mustak Ally , head of skills development at the Minerals Council .
The piloting of new technology in the mining industry can optimise the cost-effectiveness of training while taking the industry closer to its ultimate goal of Zero Harm , he added .
The showcase is the practical demonstration of the Minerals Council ’ s journey to a people-centred , technologically enabled modernised mining industry in South Africa – one that brings its people along with it ; one that helps us reimagine mining .
A ROCK-SOLID FOUNDATION FOR AGGREGATES
With a heritage spanning more than eight decades , AfriSam ’ s footprint of quarries nationwide is supported by quality systems that ensure customers reliability and consistency of aggregate supply . “ The value of the right aggregate for the task cannot be overstated , as it affects all aspects of project success – from safety and longevity to cost-effectiveness and reputational risk ,” says Amit Dawneerangen , general manager sales and product technical at AfriSam . The company ’ s strong product technical department ensures that all facilities and products comply with the necessary standards and quality specifications . Standard quality control testing is conducted regularly on each aggregate stockpile at every operation , and annual testing is also conducted by independent SANAS-accredited laboratories .
All Images : AfriSam
“ This is all vital to assuring the customer that our aggregate helps them to meet the design engineer ’ s specifications for their contract ,” he says . “ Without these quality systems and processes , the construction value chain can be compromised and cause various negative impacts for stakeholders down the line .”
The foundation of AfriSam ’ s sustainability , reliability and product quality is rooted in decades of good planning and regulatory compliance .
4 • African Mining • January 2022 www . africanmining . co . za