HEALTH AND SAFETY

PUT WORKERS’ SAFETY FIRST CALL

MINERAL Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe yesterday told mining houses to avoid placing pressure on workers to achieve production targets at the expense of safety. Mantashe told delegates at the two-day 2018 Occupational Health and Safety Summit held in Benoni that managers should not chase targets because it forced people to cut corners. He said mining companies needed to arrest the climbing trend of fatalities as 63 mineworkers have lost their lives on duty so far this year. “If we are serious we can arrest this trend, if we can achieve zero harm for the next few months we will have arrested the trend,” he said. A total of 87 fatalities were recorded across the industry last year compared with 73 in 2016. Major fatalities this year include the tragic mining accident in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, in July. The summit was pushed forward from November in a bid by the industry to thrash out ways to mine safely. “We need to come with a solution,” Mantashe said. “We must not lose lives in the industry.” | Dineo Faku