ASSOCIATIONS - ASPASA
Zero fatalities for 2017
While 2017 wasn’t the best year
on record for the country’s
mining sector, preliminary
estimates show that the surface
mining industry managed a zero
fatality rate for the year.
In its role as the industry
body representing surface
Each year, the Mine Health
and Safety Inspectorate in
the Department of Mineral
Resources issues a report
summarising the issues
highlighted by inspectors in the
different regions of South Africa.
The 13th edition of the Mine Health & Safety Act No29 of 1996 and
Regulations is available from Aspasa.
38 _ QUARRY SA | MAY/JUNE 2018
Aspasa is an industry association that represents
southern Africa’s quarrying and surface mining
industry. Originally started by the country’s aggregate
and sand producers in 1990 for self-regulating and
representing the interests of their own industry,
Aspasa has elevated the quarrying industry and
attracted an increasing number of non-aggregate and
sand-producing companies.
ASPASA
Aspasa office manager Mary-Ann
Sutton.
mining in South Africa,
Aspasa is committed to ensure
that the highest health and
safety standards are upheld at
each of its member operations.
The association also works
hard to ensure that when
the Minister of Minerals
and Energy announces the
industry statistics, Aspasa
members will receive credit
and recognition for their
excellent record.
For the past two decades,
Aspasa has worked hard to
minimise injuries and fatalities
in the industry through a
system that includes annual
health and safety audits of
all its member operations
with the aim of ensuring
the highest standards of safe
work practices and legal
compliance are maintained.
The association’s in-depth
audit document is also
regularly updated to ensure
that any issues of concern to
the industry receive sufficient
attention and focus.
But audits are not the
only tool that Aspasa uses
to reinforce the importance
of health and safety for its
member operations. Through
its various committees, the
association also identifies
Nico Pienaar, director of
surface mining industry body,
Aspasa.
particular focus areas for
additional training and, in
conjunction with accredited
training providers, organises
training workshops for its
members to cover these areas.
In addition to the general
focus on reducing injury
and fatality rates, Aspasa
has also done some ground-
breaking work on issues
such as trackless mobile
machines (TMMs), with
specific reference to proximity
detection systems (PDS),
which will become mandatory
for surface mining operations
from June 2019.
Prior to 2017, Aspasa
represented only aggregate-
and sand-producing quarries,
but over the course of the
past year it has expanded
its mandate to represent
a wider range of surface
mining operations, including
fluorspar, salt, granite, marble
sandstone and clay.
Contact Details
www.aspasa.co.za
Tel: +27 (0) 11 791 3327
Fax: +27 (0) 86 647 8034
Email: [email protected]/
[email protected]