Cradle to grave
Safety challenges in Africa
A
frica’s mining industry still faces a
number of significant safety
challenges. According to Mike
Lincoln, general manager Africa at
MineARC Systems, mining companies
are not minimising risk, even though
they have safety initiatives with
large billboards on sites and signage
with impressive taglines in dressing
rooms, hallways, and front offices,
claiming they are safety focused.
Lincoln says that it is a big challenge
to get mining regulations amended
and to update safety regulations. “We
really have seen copies of regulations
stating a miner needs to have additional
cap lamp oil and two birds for gas
detection underground,” says Lincoln.
Lincoln adds that mines are looking
for cheap solutions and in the process,
take shortcuts or implement the most
basic systems to give the impression
that they are addressing safety issues.
However, in the long run, they will realise
how costly those decisions will be when
they end up spending more money to do
things properly. Major mining houses
have a corporate and social responsibility
to treat all their workers globally to
the same health and safety standards
as those at their first world mines
(Australia, US, Canada). But, Lincoln
warns that evidently mining houses
are reverting to the weak regulations of
third world countries to save on costs.
“Although more African mines
[outside of South Africa] are improving
mine health and safety, the speed at
which this change happens will be
improved if mining houses took the
lead instead of waiting for regulation
to force improvement,” says Lincoln.
Lincoln continues and says that
there are many great opportunities for
mining companies in Mali, Burkina
Faso, Niger, Ghana, DRC, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia,
Morocco, Guinea, and Tanzania (despite
it being politically challenging).
He advises that potential
investors should be aware of the
challenges and risks in the country
they intend investing in.
Lincoln concludes that he would like
to see more proactive engagement about
safety from regulating bodies such as
the Chamber of Mines, the Ministry of
Mines, or the Department of Mines in
all countries. “More attention has to be
paid to mine safety and on improving
outdated regulations. Additionally,
governments have to realise that
by unfairly increasing duties, taxes,
royalties, and other tariffs (electricity
supply, water), foreign companies
will be alienated,” says Lincoln.