The Health and Safety Forum in Mining, concluding today, is addressing the burning challenges and opportunities faced by global mining companies with respect to sustainable development in health and safety
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17 September 2013, Johannesburg:
Providing safer and healthier work conditions has been an issue of growing importance owing to the hazardous nature of the mining profession. Mining companies have recognized the need to conduct their business ethically in a cost conscious economy and to address their employees’ health and safety imperatives.
The 3rd Global Health and Safety Forum in Mining, on its second and final day at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton Johannesburg, will witness discussions on community health and safety with a special focus on fatigue management and HIV and malaria programmes in order to provide a sustainable future for the employees of mining companies.
The inaugural day at the forum yesterday brought together key professionals from health and safety divisions of mining companies and featured talks and discussions on promoting the culture of safety, drivers of safety behaviour in the workplace and the role of automation in achieving sustainability in the organisation.
Anthony Coutinho, Director Mine Safety, Department of Minerals and Energy South Africa was a part of a plenary panel discussion on the progress the mining industry has made with respect to making mining sustainable. Other expert speakers included Navin Singh, Chief Research and Operations Officer, Mine Safety and Health Council; Philip Stephenson, Vice President – Health, Safety, Loss Prevention and Security, Newmont Mining, Michael Wm. Parker, Senior Vice President – Safety and Environment, AngloGold Ashanti; among many others. The first day of the forum was concluded with a networking and cocktail reception.
Today, Day Two of the forum, places special emphasis on issues faced by developing countries with regard to maintaining occupational safety standards. Franklin Muchari, Senior Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, ILO; Milly Ruiters, Director Occupational Health and Hygiene, Department of Labour; and Kevin Renton, Senior Occupational Hygienist, National Institute of Occupational Health will be deliberating on whether safety standards in developing countries are up to the mark or if they lack sufficient knowledge to implement these effectively.
Exclusive case studies on the HIV Programme implemented by Boss Mining and capturing suspected occupational diseases by African Barrick Gold will also give the audience practical insights into improving the occupational health of its workforce.
The concluding session of the forum will be a panel discussion: “Is it possible at all to come up with an HSE strategy without a sustainable health plan?”, featuring panelists Dr Isabel Lourenco, Chief Medical Officer, ENRC; Victoria Sherwood, Head of Commercial and Services, Pan African Minerals; Dr Mwamba Nsebula, Occupatioinal Medical Practitioner, Botswana Chamber of Mines Debswana; and Mayra Melo, Public Health Advisor, Boss Mining.
Event partners for the forum include Sandvik as Strategic Automation Partner and Rockshield Workstation as Gold Sponsor.
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Author: Madhavi Khaire from Fleming Gulf. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za.
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