[miningmx.com] – THE hazards of restarting production following the five month strike in the platinum sector were evident today after Impala Platinum (Implats) suspended production at its Rustenburg mine for two days.
The company said four fatal underground accidents, the last of which was on September 6, meant it was necessary to reinforce health and safety practices at the mine. The time would also be spent mourning four employees who had lost their lives in the accidents, it said.
Implats was also investigating the cause of the accidents as required in terms of the health and safety act, and said that all Rustenburg employees had been requested to attend a safety awareness mass meeting on September 9 (Tuesday).
The two-day work stoppage “… should not affect the recently provided guidance of Impala Rustenburg achieving 250,000 ounces of platinum for the six months ended 31 December 2014,” the company said in its announcement.
“Unfortunately, these recent accidents are a clear sign that a significant amount of work and effort, as well as improved levels of leadership, and cultural transformation are still required to ensure that the strategy is achieved,” Implats said.
Implats, and its peers in Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin, said following the end of a strike called by the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (AMCU) in January that building up production would be a difficult process requiring retraining of employees, as well as opening up mining areas again.
