In the stope
Australia has a completely different profile to sites in Brazil . A lot of the educational work in South Africa , and southern Africa , is based on health issues like HIV and TB , as you cannot separate these issues from the workplace . We need to have all-inclusive programmes .
How do the South African , Australian , and South American health issues differ ?
CB : In Australia , Anglo American is mainly dealing with mental issues . There is more awareness about mental issues generally , and this trend has also been identified in other developed countries in Europe where employers are trying to understand the baggage a worker brings to the workplace . Too much debt and extended family responsibilities , for example , have an enormous impact on the mindset and productivity of a worker . The question is , how do we deal with this ? How do we support these people ? These issues affect all levels of employees , from mineworkers to supervisors and executives — we are only now starting to unpack the stress that people are living with . The modern lifestyle adds to the problems . People are connected 24 hours a day , so the work burden doesn ’ t just disappear .
In South America , we have to address different health issues in different countries . In Brazil , the focus is on HIV and TB , probably on a lesser scale than in South Africa , but it is prevalent . In Chile , it is more the classical workplace challenges such as occupational exposure to dust and noise . We are also running some mines at altitudes over 3 000m , which presents other challenges .
Do you find that external factors have a significant impact on fatigue , and how does it affect your fatigue management programmes ?
CB : Fatigue is a complex , multifactor problem that has many potential effects . We realised that people often arrive at work tired because of what they do outside of work , their travel time to and from work , long working hours , and so on . Fatigue is a potential safety and health risk and needs to be managed and controlled . Worker fatigue , however , cannot be eliminated altogether , but can certainly be controlled . In the Anglo American fatigue management programmes , we work towards achieving a balance between workload and staffing and shift scheduling . Employees receive fatigue training to empower them to manage their fatigue . We assess alertness ( readiness ) for duty and do fatigue monitoring while employees are on duty . Our medical surveillance programmes also consider fatigue ’ s contributing factors . A serious fatigue management programme needs input from different functions ( for example HR and Mine Planning ); not only from the health discipline .
What are the mental and physical effects of working underground ?
CM : Underground mining is associated with physical exertion , heat , airborne pollutants , and exposure to noise . Efficient ventilation is of critical importance to the health and safety of underground miners . The continuous supply of fresh air provides cooling and dilution of toxic and flammable airborne pollutants .
To mitigate the exposure to noise , second-generation rockdrill mufflers have been rolled out at underground mines . In addition , customised hearing protective devices have been made available to employees . Other key considerations include nutrition , potable water , and ablution facilities .
To deal with the negative psychological impact of safety incidents , as well as other workplace psychological and social stressors , employee assistance programmes are in place .
CB : Underground mining is hard physical work . Through our functional assessment and rehabilitation centres , we understand the physical requirements of the jobs on the ground . Certain work requires specific physical abilities . At Anglo American ’ s assessment centres , a detailed assessment process is undertaken to determine whether workers can perform the role expected of them .
Does Anglo American monitor the nutritional and water intake of its workers ?
CM : The quality of both the surface and underground drinking water is closely monitored . Regular samples are collected to monitor the water quality . Ablution facilities are available and cater for the changing demographics ; that is , the progressively increasing number of women in mining .
To cater for physical exertion and heat , balanced nutrition is provided at the single accommodation villages .
Which programmes are in place to deal with the mental health of workers after an accident or fatality ?
CM : The prevention of safety and health incidents remains our key priority . Underpinning the implementation of the operating model and operational risk management , we continue to improve work planning , work management , and critical control management . Both safety and health risk management focus areas seek to achieve a step change in safety and health performance .
Our employee assistance programme is driven by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals — including social workers and a network of psychologists . Workers have an option to self-refer or can be referred by their line managers or human resources . After an incident , trauma debriefing and counselling sessions are arranged for the team or crew that experienced or witnessed the incident .
We are currently working with several universities to understand the level of burnout of employees , the safety risk behaviour of employees , and stress levels . The research has found that social factors and work management contribute to stress and mental health issues . The roll-out of culture transformation programmes and initiatives , such as the Nkululeko programme dealing with indebtedness and financial literacy , complements the other interventions aimed at risk management . As an industry , we have to appreciate the various factors influencing workers ’ health , including social factors external to the workplace , and design workplace programmes that consider the workplace and socio-economic factors that contribute to the well-being of employees .
How far have we come in terms of mental health ?
CB : We are now moving to that space where it is okay for a worker to tell his or her supervisor that there is a problem , and that it is fine for a supervisor to have a discussion about what is wrong if someone is not feeling 100 %. Two years ago , Anglo American Platinum initiated a programme whereby ‘ wellness ambassadors ’ get coached into having discussions with employees about their state of mind . b
[ 28 ] MINING MIRROR AUGUST 2018