The Citizen reports that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has issued a series of orders, suspensions and instructions to the Palabora Mining Company (PMC) following the incident that claimed the lives of six miners after a conveyer belt caught fire last Sunday.
According to the Letaba Herald, the notices issued in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act observed certain irregularities relating to the accident. The refuge bay where three employees were found deceased was found not to be life sustainable in terms of air supply. Life sustaining services installed to the bay were not made of fire-proof material or fire protected. The conveyer belt could operate even if the suppression system was faulty. PMC has been instructed to stop all conveyer belts at the mine and fix deviations. It has also been instructed to withdraw all affected people, other than those required to assist in taking steps to fix the place of safety, and conduct a proper risk assessment on refuge bay design, location and standards. PMC has also been instructed to immediately relieve the mechanical engineer appointed for conveyer belt C5 and the chief engineer from making health and safety decisions.
- Read this report by Billy Sibuyi in full at The Citizen
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