Employee security continues to deteriorate in South Africa’s mines.
Deaths in South Africa mines, which embody the world’s deepest gold and platinum operations, rose for a second consecutive 12 months as employee security deteriorated.
The toll thus far in 2021 was 69, up from 48 a year-earlier, the Division of Mineral Sources and Power stated in a press release Monday. In 2019, 51 folks died over the entire 12 months, the bottom variety of fatalities on file, earlier than climbing to 60 final 12 months.
Miners need to enhance security practices to handle the falls of floor and transport-related accidents that had been the main causes of demise because the sector, the ministry stated within the assertion, which was collectively issued with the Minerals Council South Africa. The trade, which employs greater than 450,000 folks and accounts for about 8% of the economic system, has beforehand seen declining fatalities over a number of a long time.
“That is the second consecutive 12 months of regression in fatalities and the trade’s stakeholders have dedicated to urgently deal with the unacceptable state of affairs,” they stated.
Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. stated on Friday that 4 employees died in two separate incidents at its platinum and gold mines, elevating the 2021 demise toll at its operations to 18. Rival miner Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. additionally reported 4 fatalities in latest days after two incidents at its mines in Rustenburg.
(Updates with remark from ministry and minerals council in fourth paragraph)