A self-contained self-rescue unit is a device that is used in the mining industry in case of fires or release of toxic gases that depletes or contaminates breathable oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere. These units are the first line of defense by providing oxygen in a closed breathing cycle, allowing personnel to get themselves to safety. The goal of this project was to design a unit that is more comfortable to carry during the daily operations in and outside the mines. A unit that is easier to done and less likely to damage the users and/or surrounding mining equipment. It is developed in close collaboration with Atlas Copco, as the main sponsor, as well as Dräger and personnel working at Zink Gruvan Mining.  The result is a unit with an operational time of twenty minutes and a reduced size and weight. It’s position can be adjusted to be worn around the waist or the chest, depending on the tasks the user performs, as well as simplifying the donning procedure.

The mining industry plays an important role in the economy of South Africa. This industry is an employer of thousands of people and the development of South Africa has depended on the development of the mining industry in more than one way. However, working conditions in the mining industry is poor, harsh and dangerous and employees are also faced with job insecurity. This may lead to stressors in the working environment and these stressors, which are closely related to work characteristics, may have negative effects on employees as well as on their productivity levels. Studies relating organisational resources to work-related flow have provided additional evidence for the motivational potential of resources. The focus of this study is on job characteristics, consisting of job demands and job resources and whether these characteristics can foster work-related flow. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources and work-related flow and to determine whether the availability of job resources and the lack of job demands foster the experience of work-related flow. The research method consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used o collect the data. An availability sample (N = 326) from employees in the mining industry was taken. The Job Demands and Resources Scale (JDRS) (which was developed for the purpose of this study to measure job demands and job resources for employees in the mining industry) and the Work-Related Flow scale (WOLF) and a biographical questionnaire were also administered The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS programme and AMOS programme. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients , Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. Pearson product moment correlation in this study showed that Supervision correlated positively with Task Freedom, Support, Pay and Benefits, Opportunities for Growth and Resources Availability. Workload correlated positively with Working Conditions. Working Conditions correlated positively with Working Hours and negatively with Resources Availability. Task Freedom correlated positively with Opportunities for Growth and Intrinsic Motivation, and Support correlated positively with Opportunity for Growth Pay and Benefits correlated positively with Opportunity for Growth and Resource Availability, whereas Opportunity for Growth correlated positively to Work Enjoyment. Resources Availability correlates negatively with Working Hours, and Absorption indicates a positive correlation to Work Enjoyment and Intrinsic Motivation. Work Enjoyment correlates positively to intrinsic Motivation A structural model of work-related flow for employees in the mining industry comprising of job demands, job resources and work-related flow was tested. Job Resources (i.e. Supervision, Task Freedom, Support, Pay and Benefits, Opportunity for Growth, and Resource Availability) may have a positive impact on Work-Related Flow and could increase the levels of work-related flow of employees in the mining industry. Job Demands (i.e. Workload, Working conditions, Job Security, and Working Hours) has a negative impact on Work-Related Flow, thus job demands may negatively influence the experience of work-related flow in employees in the mining industry. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Business leaders are increasingly coming to recognise that there is more to business success than technical and cognitive competence. Personnel leadership is proving to be critical for business bottom-line achievements considering that most business outcomes are achieved through human capital. Emotional intelligence can be used to the advantage of organisations by developing an emotional intelligence audit. The objective of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) developed by Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, and Golden (1998) for employees in the mining industry in South Africa. The psychometric soundness of the EIS was tested. The general objective of the research was to standardise a psychometric instrument of emotional intelligence and determine the validity of the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIS) (Schutte, et al., 1998). A valid and reliable measure of emotional intelligence could be valuable in the organisation to identify specific EI needs that could be developed through the implementation of EI development programmes. In this context a standardised psychometric instrument of EI could be of use in organisations during the training and development of employees. A cross-sectional survey research method with an availability sample (N = 324) from employees in the mining industry was used. Exploratory factor analysis was used to confirm the construct equivalence of the EIS in different racial pups. The results supported a one-factor model of emotional intelligence. ANOVA analysis was conducted to determine the levels of emotional intelligence in terms of various demographic aspects such as gender, racial groups, language groups, and age groups. The results indicated that there are no significant differences between different demographics aspects and the level of emotional intelligence. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Hardly any research has been done on work-life interaction (WLI) in the mining industry in South Africa. Mining is a high-risk profession and the custom of reducing the occurrence of morbidity and inhumanity in these industries must be gainfully considered. Many of the individuals who work in the mining industry are shift workers. Individuals who are working shifts often appear to have little time for non-work related commitments. Their families, personal health, socialising with friends, maintenance of their households and hobbies do not receive the necessary attention, which cause an imbalance of work and life. The general objective of this research was to study the experience of WLI of two cultural groups (Afrikaans and Setswana-speaking individuals) in the mining industry and more specifically, to determine certain antecedents, consequences and strategies used with regards to WLI. A non-probability purposive voluntary sample of 25 mineworkers was taken from the Northern Cape Province. Participants consisting of males and females were stratified in terms of language (Afrikaans and Setswana). Data collection for this research consisted of a pilot study, qualitative interviews and field notes, The data was transcribed verbatim and checked by independent researchers. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. It was found that Afrikaans males, Setswana males and Setswana females experienced pressure and stress at work, where the Afrikaans females did not have that same experience. Several antecedents (e.g., pressure at work, heavy workload, stress, and family obligations) that led to definite consequences (e.g., lack of quality time for self and family, physical and emotional strains, and low levels of productivity), as well as the strategies (e.g., prioritising, time management, communication and planning) which the different language groups use to cope with their work-life interaction were revealed during interviews. The results also confirmed that there were some major differences between Afrikaans and Setswana-speaking individuals in terms of their experiences of work-life interaction. Recommendations were made for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

The mining industry is acknowledge to be a very stressful and demanding profession, driven by performance and intense working environments, hazardous working conditions and socially undesirable working hours. These factors could impact on the interaction between work and nonwork roles of employees. The objectives of this research were to investigate the prevalence of the different work-nonwork conflict scales and to determine the demographic differences of work-nonwork conflict in a sample of mining employees. A random sample of 245 mining employees was taken from a platinum mine in the Rustenburg area. A newly developed Work-nonwork Interference Scale of Koekemoer (2009), measuring the interference between work and other nonwork roles, was used as measuring instrument. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, Paired-sample t-tests, Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVAS) were used to analyse the data. Work-nonwork conflict was more prevalent than nonwork-work conflict. The results also indicated that work-family conflict is more prevalent than work-domestic conflict and work-religion conflict. However, work-domestic conflict was more prevalent than work-religion conflict. Statistically significant differences exist between demographic groups based on marital status and language regarding work-nonwork conflict. The results obtained indicated that African-speaking participants experienced higher levels of private-work conflict compared to Afrikaans and English-speaking participants. The results also revealed that participants who are not married experienced higher levels of private-work conflict than those who are married. Some recommendations made in this study included that the mining industry should focus on providing support in terms of available resources and effectively managed work-nonwork role conflicts. Recommendations for future research include larger sample sizes, administration of questionnaires to various occupational groups, investigation of positive interaction between work and other life roles as well as longitudinal and research designs. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The mining industry is acknowledge to be a very stressful and demanding profession, driven by performance and intense working environments, hazardous working conditions and socially undesirable working hours. These factors could impact on the interaction between work and nonwork roles of employees. The objectives of this research were to investigate the prevalence of the different work-nonwork conflict scales and to determine the demographic differences of work-nonwork conflict in a sample of mining employees. A random sample of 245 mining employees was taken from a platinum mine in the Rustenburg area. A newly developed Work-nonwork Interference Scale of Koekemoer (2009), measuring the interference between work and other nonwork roles, was used as measuring instrument. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, Paired-sample t-tests, Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVAS) were used to analyse the data. Work-nonwork conflict was more prevalent than nonwork-work conflict. The results also indicated that work-family conflict is more prevalent than work-domestic conflict and work-religion conflict. However, work-domestic conflict was more prevalent than work-religion conflict. Statistically significant differences exist between demographic groups based on marital status and language regarding work-nonwork conflict. The results obtained indicated that African-speaking participants experienced higher levels of private-work conflict compared to Afrikaans and English-speaking participants. The results also revealed that participants who are not married experienced higher levels of private-work conflict than those who are married. Some recommendations made in this study included that the mining industry should focus on providing support in terms of available resources and effectively managed work-nonwork role conflicts. Recommendations for future research include larger sample sizes, administration of questionnaires to various occupational groups, investigation of positive interaction between work and other life roles as well as longitudinal and research designs. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Composite materials are well-renown for their strength to weight ratios and are widely used in many industries where high strength and low weight is required. Although steel is the traditional material of choice in the mining industry, and particularly for conveyor support structures, the strength and weight advantages offered by composite materials has prompted this investigation into the feasibility of using composite materials in underground mining conveyor support structures. The first phase of the project centred on establishing and applying selection criteria for the materials and processes which could be used in such a structure. Key concerns include fire performance, electrical conductivity, cost, availability and manufacturability. Based on these considerations, the project identified a phenolic-glass laminate manufactured using the RTM method (for moulded components) or the pultrusion process (for tube sections) as a possible basis for a composite conveyor support structure. The second phase of the project developed a set of design criteria for the use of composite materials in conveyor support structures and a series of preliminary designs based on current conveyor configurations. After analysing each preliminary design against key design criteria, in particular cost, weight, assembly time, susceptibility to damage and torsional loading, the Linestand Suspended - Beam configuration was selected as the preferred option. The third phase of the project used the findings of the preliminary design analysis and the key design criteria to develop a prototype final design. The prototype design is based on a hybrid style of frame. The majority of the structure is constructed from a custom pultruded beam connected with a composite connection piece, while the interface between the rollers and the frame utilises a steel bracket to reduce the risk of damage to the composite frame. The final design is 12kg lighter than the current smaller steel design of similar function. The project has demonstrated the feasibility of using composite materials in conveyor support structures and the weight savings that may be achieved.

Environmental and social problems are often connected to the mining industry. Hence, there is a history of conflicts between industry actors and stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations, regional politicians, environmental authorities, academics, community researchers, tourism industry and indigenous people. Despite being criticized for some of its work on sustainability, mining companies have indeed improved their communication regarding sustainability and are even considered to be at the forefront of corporate sustainability communication in general, predominantly in the area of sustainability, or integrated, reporting. Thus, a question is how the mining industry can be seen at the cutting edge regarding sustainability communication while also considered as one of the most unsustainable industries? One way of approaching such questions in the field of accounting and control is through the analytical framework of impression management, focusing on how companies through their reporting manage impressions of themselves on their stakeholders. Despite the strategic importance in which the information is presented in integrated reports, the full range of impression management techniques suggested by Brennan et al. (2009) has not, to our knowledge, been used to understand integrated reports in the mining industry. The Swedish mining company, Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB), wholly owned by the Swedish state and Europe’s largest producer of iron ore, has been selected as a case company due to its ambition to become a world leader in “best practices” on social and environmental aspects. The purpose of this thesis is to make a detailed review of the integrated reports published by LKAB (2008-2017) through the lens of impression management and decode the expressiveness of impressions related to both qualitative and quantitative information. Using such a lense this study provides evidence that the company distorts information to appear as better rather than report performance objectively. The composite bias score indicates the degree to which information is angled against positive or negative aspects. When the result shows +1, the company is completely positively biased, while -1 indicates that the company is completely negatively biased. The mean of bias score for the years between 2008-2017, shows that the qualitative (quantitative) information totals to 0.76 (0.51) which indicates that both measurements are positively biased. A high score of impression management increases the potential for erroneous decision-making by stakeholders. Furthermore, a comprehensive test of the differences in impression management confirms that a higher result of qualitative and quantitative information occurs when the company performs well and is located in the upper quartile related to profit for the year. The reason is due to the fact that a positive result is related to increased figures which  is reflected in the measurement of quantitative impression management. Hence, a measure of impression management related to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), indicates that G4 has lower bias score related to both qualitative and quantitative information. GRI G4 is a more comprehensive standard compared to the earlier version, G3. G4 generally causes the case company to report more information. In view of this, it is possible to note that G4 entails a more transparent accounting and reduces the scope for impression management.

The main goal of my diploma work was global analysis of the logistic system in the mining industry especially processing limestone. The mining and processing limestone in Vapenka Certovy schody a.s. are devided to the several technological operations with logical sequences. Strict directions are provided for any technological operations. Final products are delivered in high quality to the customers thanks to these strict directions. The next part of my diploma work was to find optimal solution delivery quotas ground limestone kind D5 for ECK Generation s.r.o. I found the best possibility of delivery from between truck and railway. I recommended the group of 7 lowry kind RAJ drawn by 1 gas-power locomotive. It is the cheapest solution and very ecological too.

Women in Latin America tend to bear greatest negative costs due to extractive industries. Mining and hydrocarbons transform the livelihoods of local populations and also, gender roles that condition access to opportunities for men and women. However, gender roles do not only operate in extractive localities. fte same industry is mainly organized around a masculine culture that allows the marginalization of women as their work force. fte case of direct and indirect employment (formal, informal and illegal) is used to present a series of pending questions despite a context of little information available to understand gender impacts of the extractive industry. / Las mujeres en América Latina tienden a recibir mayores impactos negativos a causa de la industria extractiva. La minería y los hidrocarburos transforman los medios de vida de poblaciones locales y así también, los roles de género que condicionarían el mayor o menor acceso a oportunidades para hombres y mujeres. Sin embargo, los roles de género no sólo operan en localidades extractivas. La misma industria está mayoritariamente organizada en torno a una cultura masculina que permitiría la marginalización de las mujeres como su fuerza de trabajo. Se utiliza el caso del empleo directo e indirecto (tanto formal, informal e ilegal) para presentar una serie de preguntas pendientes ante un contexto de poca información sistemática disponible que comprenda los impactos de género de la industria extractiva en América Latina.