In the stope
Dr Thuthula Balfour talks about health
The health of underground workers is non-negotiable, Dr Thuthula Balfour tells Leon Louw.
What is the significance of the physical and mental health of underground workers? How do mining companies ensure that their underground workers are in good health?
The physical and mental health of underground workers are extremely important. Various aspects, such as challenging work environments and societal stressors like financial indebtedness— which is a problem across South African society— have an impact on the mental well-being of employees.
Given that these aspects can affect work satisfaction and concentration, a number of mining organisations have developed holistic programmes to manage lifestyle diseases and fatigue and include financial fitness education.
In many instances, assessments are carried out to determine the physical and psychological fitness of employees.
What effect does the underground mining environment have on workers?
The physical health effects of workplace exposures have been well documented and managed over the past couple of decades. Occupational hygiene programmes and health monitoring regimes are well defined and have been proven to be effective in managing employee health and safety.
The psychological / mental effects of the work environment are often not as well understood as the physical effects. Some anecdotal evidence and research have shown that the challenges are similar to what employees would experience in other work environments. This varies, however, on several demographic and organisational factors. Women, for instance, have faced many challenges in the past, ranging from physical threats to functional difficulties, and various forms of discrimination. All of these aspects have been addressed more thoroughly over the past decade by individual companies and the industry at large through diversity programmes, research, and improved ergonomic solutions for female mine workers.
Which programmes are in place to monitor especially the mental health of underground workers?
A number of mining companies have partnered with prominent academic institutions in developing assessment methodologies for psychological fitness to work. This has allowed employers to identify and intervene earlier on individual cases by providing the required assistance to individuals.
How are workers tested physically and mentally before they are sent underground?
All mineworkers undergo tests to assess their fitness to work in any environment. The Department of Mineral Resources( DMR) has Minimum Standards of Fitness to Perform Work at a Mine as well as a Guideline for the Mandatory COP on Risk-based Fatigue Management on a mine. Assessments for fitness include taking the person’ s history, clinical examinations, blood and radiological tests, as well as tests for physical and functional capacity to do the specific job that the person has applied for.
Are programmes in place to deal with the mental state of workers after an accident or fatalities?
Most mining companies have in-house or outsourced clinical psychology services that help employees to work through trauma as a result of accidents or fatalities.
How do operations manage fatigue and the stress of underground workers?
Fatigue risk management programmes are well integrated into occupational health and safety management plans and are aimed at reducing the impact of fatigue. The management of fatigue is a multidimensional risk strategy, which includes a number of proactive, monitoring, and reactive measures and may include education and awareness programmes. Available measures, especially on active monitoring, differ however between surface and underground applications. A typical strategy would include proactive measures( shift rosters, nutrition, awareness), active measures( monitoring, counter measures), and reactive measures( consequence management and review).
What effect can poor health of workers have on mining operations?
Fatigue affects activities of high mental demand, and also activities with high physical requirements. Furthermore, fatigue often contributes to depression. In general, workers with depressive symptoms are more likely to be absent, to have reduced levels of productivity, and be more at risk for occupational injury. A healthy workforce is important to improve productivity and to reduce absenteeism, as well as ensuring the well-being of employees.
[ 30 ] MINING MIRROR JUNE 2018