9. SIGNIFICACE OF THE RESEARCH
4.3 Providing possible solution to the lack of skills in mining industry
The underprivileged (historically disadvantaged South Africans) are not educated enough and lack necessary skills and qualifications that meet the average standards for employment. Skills shortage is one of the challenges confronting mining fraternity
-Poor visibility near mining equipment, machinery entanglements, slipping and tripping, operator error, and -hazards associated with equipment maintenance.
-Ineffective safeguarding of workers near machinery through the required mechanical guarding around moving components, lockout/tag out of machine power during maintenance and backup alarms for mobile equipment.
-Poor proximity detection
-Mining machinery and haul trucks have extensive operator blind spots.
-Haul roads are unsealed and need constant maintenance, blind corners are common, and intersections change frequently.
341SA People News: Buried alive: Lily Mine disaster and the state of mining in South Africa available at http://www.dontparty.co.za/read/lily-mine-disaster-south-africa/ retrieved 19 June 2016.
342Mining Rescue Service South Africa, available at http://www.minesrescue.co.za/services.html retrieved 19 June 2016.
343Ibid (note 342 above).
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and drags down our economic growth. Therefore, in order to address the issue of skills shortage the Skills Development Act, 1998 will play a critical role in ensuring that skills development is accomplished and advanced.
The purpose of Skills Development Act, 1998 is to “increase the levels of investment in education and training in the labour market and to improve the return on that investment.”344 This Act encourages the employers to afford employees with necessary training in order to procure skills, knowledge and expertise that will match the standard of employment criteria. According to Sharma “everyone knows safety training is important. Everyone also knows that there are other things they’d rather be doing.”345
Sharma further states that “the most important part of safety training invariably ends up being how information is reinforced once classroom and e-learning sessions are over. Create regular safety meetings that showcase good work. Emphasize hazard identification and provide incentives that will keep workers interested and committed”.346 Maintenance and compliance are most imperative dynamics to mining operations and cannot be neglected.347
Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) will contribute in ensuring that the aged miners are provided necessary skills, knowledge and expertise, because safety in the mining industry is a duty or responsibility of all employees whether aged or not.
President Zuma stated that it is very important that we intensely back-up and establish a culture of zero harm in the sector.348 He went to say that evidence regarding safety at mines shows that mining safety has turn out to be a crucial concern that will require
344Section 2(1)(b) of Skills Development Act 97 of 1998.
345Sharma A Top, Tips for Improving Safety Training available at http://www.warriors4safety.com/safetyarticles/top-tips-for-improving-safety-training.html retrieved 19 June 2016.
346Ibid footnote 345. Pudasaini N elaborates that “safety is the first requirement and we should not compromise on it. Mostly, we recognize the problems but we are unwilling to solve them. Accidents are explained away, and generally we fix the cause rather than its symptoms. Our attitude needs to change so that we can build safety habits and a safety culture.”
347Environmentally friendly solutions to mine maintenance 17 June 2016 available http://www.miningsafety.co.za/newscontent/4882/Environmentally-friendly-solutions-to-mine-
maintenance retrieved 19 June 2016.
348 Mining Safety in South Africa available at
http://www.miningsafety.co.za/dynamiccontent/61/Mining-Safety-in-South-Africa retrieved 19 June 2016.
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a critical assessment or observation by the government.349 The apartheid government would pass legislation and policies intended to close the doors for blacks in accessing the right to education, training, and did not care much about literacy.350
For that reason, South Africa currently sits on 9, 4 million adults with less than nine years of educations, who demonstrated an aspiration and have the capability to re- enter the education and training system.351 Basic education for young people and adults is essential for a truly democratic society as it prepares the general public for an extensive and vigorous participation in decision-making processes.352 The Government has put emphasis on mining health and safety standards and pledged not to neglect the safety of miners.353 In the past few years a remarkable gains with regard to improvement of safety have been made, and unnecessary accidents cannot be tolerated to destroy the “hard-earned gains” that have been made over a long period of time.354
Basic education training programme will also assist the aged miners to properly operate the machinery in the sector and able to read the caution or warning signs place in the workplace. The mining companies must employ individuals with necessary qualification, strong leadership skills and able to make sound decision as quickly as
349Ibid (note 348 above).
350Policy Document on Adult Basic Education and Training available at http://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Policies/GET/PolicyDocumentABET.pdf?ver=200 7-08-22-081525-000 retrieved 19 June 2016.
351Ibid (note 350 above).
352 Ibid footnote 350 above. It also outlines seven critical cross-field education and training outcomes as follows:
• Identify and solve problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made.
• Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, community.
• Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively.
• Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
• Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentation.
• Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environments and health of others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation
353Mining Safety in South Africa available at
http://www.miningsafety.co.za/dynamiccontent/61/Mining-Safety-in-South-Africa retrieved 19 June 2016.
354Ibid (note 353 above).
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possible to avoid mine accidents. Finally, training of employees will play a critical role in reducing mining accidents, and improving our social and economic growth.