Mining Weekly reports that a worker died in a locomotive accident at the Rustenburg 1 Shaft of Impala Platinum (Implats) this week.  

Implats on Thursday said that apparently Nelso Thipe’s locomotive was travelling from the underground shaft tipping area towards the workings to collect another load of ore when another fully loaded locomotive en route to the tipping area failed to stop – against standard safety protocol – at the demarcated place, before entering the tipping area.  This locomotive then collided with the rail carriage on which Thipe was sitting, fatally injuring him in the collision.  The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) noted in a separate statement that four people had lost their lives at Implats’ operations this year, while this had apparently been the third locomotive accident in as many months at the shaft in question.  But, Implats pointed out that, while there had been a regression in safety performance recently at the operation, the regression followed an extended period of an unprecedented improvement in safety performance.

• Read the full original of the above report at Mining Weekly

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