Miner killed at Carletonville mine, says Amcu

A miner died in an accident at Blyvoor Gold Mine in Carletonville, Gauteng, on Wednesday, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) reported on Thursday.

The union said at about 10.50am on Wednesday there was a fall of ground which resulted in injuries to the employee. Paramedics were dispatched to the scene and the injured employee was pronounced dead at 11.15am.

The union said the high number of fall of ground-related injuries were indicators that the mining industry was heading in the wrong direction in fatality prevention. It said this was the 12th fall of ground-related fatality in the industry this year, while there were 107 fall of ground-related injuries.

“This brings the total fatalities to 26 in the South African mining industry.” This is 12 more fatalities compared with the same period last year.

The union said the Mine Health and Safety Act must be amended to hold mine bosses personally liable when workers were killed on their watch.

“How many more must die before the law catches up with reality? Amcu repeats its call for urgent legislative reform, including executive criminal liability for repeated fatal incidents and compulsory, independent fall of ground audits in high-risk shafts. Workers are not collateral damage.”

TimesLIVE