The Minerals Council of South Africa announced last week that it would ramp up safety measures for the local mining industry following the first confirmed case of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in South Africa.
In a statement on Friday the council claimed that it had taken extra steps to ensure the safety of those working in the mining sector as they ran a higher risk of contracting viruses, particularly communicable diseases such as Covid-19.
“We recognise that the mining sector has special circumstances that could make it vulnerable to transmission of infectious diseases,” the statement said.
“As mining often involves physical activity, there could be a high degree of exposure to the virus simply through contact with people, machinery and equipment. Mining executives and officials who visit offshore operations are at risk of contracting the virus in other countries and bringing the infection into South African mines.”
Working together with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the council has published a nine-point action plan to assist members with measures to help mitigate the impact of the virus.
As part of the plan, the council will look to educate and raise awareness around the virus, as well as provide its members with the necessary tools such as masks, sanitisers and vaccinations to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The council said it would continue to look at further ways to improve the safety of the mining industry, while also ensuring that business operations continued to run as smoothly as possible. – Bjorn Vorster
