S tr a t egic Goal 4 PROMO TING ZERO HARM T he Miner als C ouncil pla y s a leadership r ole in initia tiv es t o f as ttr ack mining s pr ogr es s t o w ar ds ZERO HARM Mining is a c omple x t echnical and oft en labourint ensiv e indus try Risks and hazar ds ar e pr e v alent in the e xtr action of man y c ommodities and ha v e the pot ential t o cause harm and in e xtr eme cases t o thr ea t en liv es Of the men and w omen who w ork in the sect or e v ery da y mining r equir es rigor ous tr aining absolut e vigilanc e and unf ailing adher enc e t o health and saf ety s tandar ds and pr oc edur es T he South A frican mining indus try emplo y s appr o xima t ely half a million people each of whom it is es tima t ed supports betw een 5 and 10 people T he los s of one lif e ther ef or e carries with it an ec onomic impact tha t is f elt t enf old and causes grief t o the depart ed person s lo v ed ones tha t can neither be tallied nor c onsoled Ef orts t o r educ e miners e xposur e t o risks and hazar ds t o pr e v ent and tr ea t se v er al oc cupa tional diseases and abo v e all t o elimina t e f a talities mus t be an abiding priority f or South A frica s mining indus try T he Miner als C ouncil in its r ole t o unit e and r epr esent mining and e xplor a tion c ompanies oper a ting in South A frica is c ommitt ed t o the indus try goal of z er o harm In e v erything it does it aims t o ensur e tha t e v ery mine w ork er r eturns home unharmed a t the end of e v ery w ork da y It sets out t o achie v e this b y w orking closely with its members as w ell as its tripartit e partners of go v ernment and or ganised labour S AFETY Our Saf ety and Sus tainable De v elopment discipline pla y s an important f acilita tiv e and c oor dina ting r ole in the implementa tion of the indus try s 20 2 4 miles t ones f or mine health and saf ety in a manner tha t ac c eler a t es the achie v ement of the indus try s goal of z er o harm W e achie v e this thr ough the Miner als C ouncil s Oc cupa tional Health and Saf ety P olic y C ommitt ee the MO SH L earning Hub the R ock and Engineering T echnical C ommitt ee and the CEO Z er o Harm F orum W e also engage with r egional as socia tions including the r egional tripartit e f orums As socia tion of Mine Managers of South A frica and the South A frican C olliery Managers As socia tion the DMRE and or ganised labour thr ough the MHSC and with int erna tional indus try bodies thr ough the Miner als C ouncil s membership in the ICMM W e and our member c ompanies r emain c ommitt ed t o the indus try s goal of z er o harm f or all people w orking a t our oper a tions emplo y ees and c ontr act ors T he Miner als C ouncil c ontinues t o be activ ely in v olv ed in se v er al initia tiv es and partnerships aimed a t elimina ting f a talities and injuries in the mining indus try Miner als C ouncil initia tiv es and tripartit e c ollabor a tion T he Miner als C ouncil c ollabor a t es with indus try s tak eholders fr om go v ernment or ganised labour c ompanies and emplo y ees t o pr ot ect the health and saf ety of emplo y ees T he f ollo wing s tructur es ar e c entr al t o the c ollectiv e implementa tion of indus try initia tiv es b y all s tak eholders Mine Health and Saf ety A ct MHS A Dr a wn up in 1996 the MHS A r egula t es and pr o vides f or the saf eguar ding of the health and saf ety of mine emplo y ees as w ell as r esidents of ar eas af ect ed b y mining oper a tions T ypically e v ery oper a tion in the indus try has its o wn health and saf ety c ommitt ee tha t c omprises r epr esenta tiv es of management and unions seeking t o ensur e c omplianc e with r egula tions t o pr o vide saf ety tr aining f or all emplo y ees and t o pr omot e activ e c ollabor a tion in all ma tt ers r ela ting t o saf ety and health Mine Health and Saf ety C ouncil MHSC Es tablished in 1996 the MHSC w as set up t o dir ect saf ety in the mining indus try and t o r espond t o indus try saf ety challenges T oda y its primary tasks ar e t o advise the Minis t er of Miner al R esour c es and Ener gy on oc cupa tional health and saf ety legisla tion and r esear ch out c omes f ocused on impr o ving P age 88