Keep up with fast-changing compliance

Mining is conducted in hazardous environments with increased potential for loss of life, injury, and health and safety issues. KBC Health & Safety focuses on short courses, compliance, virtual training, micro-learning, and onboarding solutions to mitigate risks for mining clients. “We ensure that people know and understand the rules and regulations of working in a healthy and safe environment,” says KBC onboarding specialist Dion Denton. “Fortunately, South African mines are safety-orientated … it forms part of their core values.”

Denton also notes that the industry has to comply with all legal and regulatory requirements stipulated by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. Both the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 provide a good framework for compliance.

Mining houses have traditionally opted for in-house training. However, this is not always ideal. The current Covid-19 pandemic, for example, has increased demand for specialised services like virtual training. “As mining is such a high-risk environment, the greatest opportunities for improvement lie in managing the various contractors that work on a mine,” says KBC GM Louise Woodburn. “Some may not be used to operating in such hazardous conditions and so may require more assistance in complying fully with stringent health and safety requirements.”

Legal requirements for the mining industry also change regularly; both contractors and mines must stay up to date with relevant changes to ensure that employees are always protected. South Africa’s legal requirements for the mining industry are among the best in the world. “Legislation is very comprehensive as it is based on actual incidents,” notes Denton, adding that mining houses and contractors are required to partner with a specialist in the field to ensure that they are able to correctly interpret health and safety legalisation.

“To stay competitive in the global marketplace, organisations need to be innovative, adaptive, and ever-changing. Employees need to be able to challenge themselves to obtain new knowledge, ideas, and skills,” says Woodburn. “Learning needs to take place on a flexible, on-demand, and continual basis to contribute this kind of cutting-edge performance.”