Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the 20th century, many employees in the South African mining industry were involved in occupational accidents which either resulted in personal injury or had fatal consequences. Despite the introduction of numerous industrial safety programmes to prevent fatal incidents and minor injuries, the South African mining industry death toll remains consistently high, at approximately 200 employees per annum. The trend of employee injury and death continues unabated into the new millennium. This safety performance has been met with growing dissatisfaction in the ranks of government, worker unions, employees and business stakeholders. This dissatisfaction is directed at chief executives who are being blamed for the occupational accidents on their mines. There is now growing focus on the leadership of mining companies and how it contributes to shaping an organisational culture for improved safety performance. The researcher examines whether leadership is a key component in creating a safety conscious organisational culture, and uses literature studies and the Anglo American mining company as a practical case study to support the investigation. Anglo American, listed on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges is the largest mining company in South Africa and also one in which many fatal injuries have occurred; providing an abundance of safety information. The researcher reviews previous literature studies and explains the journey Anglo American undertook to improve its safety performance since listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1999. The concepts of organisational culture, safety culture, leadership and organisational performance, are discussed from a theoretical and practical perspective using literature studies. These are then examined with the ultimate view of understanding their practical impact on organisational safety as espoused in the literature. The literature provides a broad framework on which to assess Anglo American's safety journey from 1999 to the end of 2007. This journey details the safety programmes and efforts employed by Anglo American to eliminate fatalities and injuries and also highlights the impact of the organisation's leadership on the safety performance of the company. It is concluded that the contribution of leadership is pivotal to establishing a safety-conscious organisational culture and that specific behaviours from executives, senior managers, middle managers, supervisors and workers are needed to develop an organisations safety culture for improved safety performance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die 20ste eeu was baie werkers in die Suid-Afrikaanse mynbedryf betrokke in beroepsverwante ongelukke wat tot persoonlike beserings of lewensverlies gelei het. Ten spyte van die instelling van veelvuldige beroeps-veiligheidsprogramme om noodlottige insidente en ander minder ernstige beserings te voorkom, bly die dodetal in die Suid-Afrikaanse mynbedryf konstant hoog, teen ongeveer 200 werkers per jaar. Hierdie tendens van dood en beserings onder werkers gaan ongetem voort tot in die nuwe millennium. Hierdie veiligheidsrekord word met toenemende ontevredenheid deur die regering, werkers-vakbonde, werkers en bedryfsinsethouers beskou. Hierdie ontevredenheid word gemik op uitvoerende bestuur, wie blameer word vir beroepsverwante ongelukke in hul myne. Daar word dus toenemend gefokus op die leierskap van mynmaatskappye en hoe dit bydra tot die skepping van 'n organisasiekultuur van verbeterde veiligheidsuitslae. Die navorser ondersoek die vraag of leierskap 'n kern komponent is in die daarstelling van 'n veiligheids-bewuste organisasiekultuur, en maak gebruik van literatuurstudies sowel as Anglo American mynmaatskappy as 'n praktiese gevallestudie om sy ondersoek te ondersteun. Anglo American is die grootste mynmaatskappy in Suid-Afrika en ook die een waar baie noodlottige ongelukke voorgekom het, en dus 'n groot bron van veiligheidsinligting kan voorsien. Die navorser hersien teoretiese literatuurstudies en verduidelik dan die optrede van Anglo American om sy veiligheidsrekords te verbeter sedert sy noteering op die Londonse Effektebeurs in 1999. Die konsep van organisasiekultuur, veiligheidskultuur, leierskap en organisasieprestasie, word bespreek vanuit 'n teoretiese en praktiese perspektief met behulp van literatuurstudies en hierdie word bestudeer met die uiteindelike doel om die praktiese impak daarvan in industrie te verstaan soos uiteengesit in die literatuur. Die literatuur voorsien 'n breë raamwerk waarteen Anglo American se veiligheidstog gemeet kan word vanaf 1999 tot einde 2007. Hierdie tog verskaf detail van hoe Anglo American veiligheidsprogramme gebruik het om noodlottigge ongelukke en beserings uit te skakel en beklemtoon ook die impak van die organisasie se leierskap op die veiligheidsrekord van die maatskappy. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat die bydrae van leierskap kern is tot die daarstelling van 'n veiligheidsbewuste kultuur en dat spesifieke optredes van hoofbestuurders, seniorbestuurders, middelvlakbestuurders, opsieners en werkers nodig is om 'n veiligheidskultuur te bewerkstellig om veiligheid in maatskappye te verbeter.

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MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / Mining has historically been the mainstay of the South African economy and has both shaped its social and environmental fabric. However, it has left the country with a negative legacy of abandoned mines that present environmental problems, and public health and safety concerns. The common physical and environmental problems of most of these abandoned mines are associated with open shafts, unstable slopes of waste dumps and pits, and dilapidated mine infrastructure. Even though the problems of these abandoned mines are known, little has been done to rehabilitate these mines. Some attempts have been made to rehabilitate mine openings but efforts to rehabilitate features such as mine waste dumps and dilapidated infrastructure has been woefully inadequate. The reasons for ineffective rehabilitation measures may include inappropriate measures that are used in rehabilitation of the abandoned mines, lack of financial resources to carry out the rehabilitation and the need to prioritize abandoned mine features and mine sites for rehabilitation in view of the fact that there are many of these abandoned mines that require urgent attention and resources to rehabilitate them are limited. It is therefore important that practicable rehabilitation strategies are developed and used to rehabilitate mine features and sites to provide long-lasting solutions to the physical, environmental, and social problems. This study focused on the evaluation of strategies for rehabilitation of selected abandoned mine sites in the Giyani Greenstone Belt. The approach used in this study involved conducting a detailed field inventory and characterization to establish the nature and seriousness of the physical and environmental conditions of the selected abandoned/historic mining sites in Giyani Greenstone Belt. Field inventory and characterization involved traversing around the mine-site to locate and describe abandoned mine features. The Global Positioning System (GPS) was used in capturing the absolute location of the identified major abandoned mine features such as open mine shafts, tailings dump, and dilapidated infrastructure. Each of the identified mine features was critically analyzed by scoring and ranking the associated hazards. The scoring focused on the source of the hazard, exposure pathways, and possible damage that might be caused by the hazard. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Pugh Matrix were used to devise a multi-criteria framework for evaluating mine site rehabilitation strategies. AHP method was utilized to evaluate the significance of the deciding factors and the Pugh Matrix to relatively compare the strategies for the selection of the appropriate rehabilitation options. The results of the study showed that the best approach to effectively address the physical and environmental hazards at Louis Moore and Klein Letaba abandoned mines of the Giyani Greenstone Belt was to give priority to extremely hazardous open mine shafts and tailings dumps. Mine shafts present a high risk of falling and drowning in water in the mine workings. Such risks are likely to lead to death with no hope of recovery of the body. The next mine features to be rehabilitated are the tailings dumps since they have relatively less physical hazards but extremely high environmental hazards. Abandoned mine infrastructure was found to be less hazardous and should, therefore, receive the least attention. The preferred rehabilitation strategies for abandoned mines features were evaluated after a comprehensive characterization of the site, this was done to ensure that the selected strategy addresses both physical and environmental problems identified on the site. Based on the results of evaluation, backfilling was selected to be the most suitable rehabilitation strategy for mine shafts as it has a very high potential to eliminate the risks of people falling into the mine shaft and the chances of water contamination by abandoned mine shafts. The most ideal rehabilitation option for tailings dumps was revegetation, since it ensures the safety of the site after implementation and minimizes the future environmental impacts such as the discharge of contaminants to the nearby environment. The most preferred rehabilitation strategy for dilapidated abandoned infrastructure in the study area was the demolition of the infrastructure, this strategy will improve the safety status of the mine sites and make the land they occupy available for other traditional post-mining land uses. It was concluded that the approach of prioritizing the extremely and moderately hazardous abandoned mine features is appropriate for use in developing countries where there are numerous abandoned mines and limited resources to rehabilitate them. This will go a long way in ensuring that characterization and rehabilitation of the abandoned mine features are effectively carried out within the constraints of resources. / NRF

Legislators are placing increased pressure on mining companies to improve their safety performance. The importance of safety leadership is highlighted by its role in safety culture and improving safety performance. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the impact of a coaching program on safety leadership. The main constructs namely safety culture, safety leadership and coaching was conceptualised along the humanistic paradigm, with theoretical definitions and models. In this study, safety culture is employees’ shared attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values about safety that affect their behaviour in the workplace. Safety leadership is the interpersonal influence that a leader exercises to achieve the organisation’s safety performance goals. Coaching is an interpersonal interaction that aims to improve individual performance through increased selfawareness and action plans. A theoretical model was developed to explain the elements that constitute effective safety leadership. A coaching program was developed based on executive coaching and leadership development principles. The empirical investigation was conducted in an organisation in the South African mining industry. A nested mixed methods design was followed. In the quantitative study, a 360 degree survey was employed to assess the ratings of a purposive sample (n=54) along eight dimensions before and after the coaching. Data was analysed with descriptive and inferential analysis. Results showed statistically significant improvements on accountability, collaboration, and feedback and recognition after the coaching. The results reflected differences in 360 degree ratings according to gender, race, job level, age and geographical location. The most significant improvements were for females, Africans, management, age 51-60 years, and site 2. In the qualitative study, a semi-structured interview was employed to study four cases to investigate managers’ personal experiences and changes in attitude toward safety. Data was analysed utilising thematic analysis. The findings revealed that coaching was a positive experience and contributed to changing managers’ attitudes toward safety. The research added to the field of organisational behaviour by presenting a theoretical model that enhances the understanding of safety leadership, the development of a coaching program and providing empirical evidence that the principles of coaching and leadership development can be applied to improve safety leadership. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D. Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Legislators are placing increased pressure on mining companies to improve their safety performance. The importance of safety leadership is highlighted by its role in safety culture and improving safety performance. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the impact of a coaching program on safety leadership. The main constructs namely safety culture, safety leadership and coaching was conceptualised along the humanistic paradigm, with theoretical definitions and models. In this study, safety culture is employees’ shared attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values about safety that affect their behaviour in the workplace. Safety leadership is the interpersonal influence that a leader exercises to achieve the organisation’s safety performance goals. Coaching is an interpersonal interaction that aims to improve individual performance through increased selfawareness and action plans. A theoretical model was developed to explain the elements that constitute effective safety leadership. A coaching program was developed based on executive coaching and leadership development principles. The empirical investigation was conducted in an organisation in the South African mining industry. A nested mixed methods design was followed. In the quantitative study, a 360 degree survey was employed to assess the ratings of a purposive sample (n=54) along eight dimensions before and after the coaching. Data was analysed with descriptive and inferential analysis. Results showed statistically significant improvements on accountability, collaboration, and feedback and recognition after the coaching. The results reflected differences in 360 degree ratings according to gender, race, job level, age and geographical location. The most significant improvements were for females, Africans, management, age 51-60 years, and site 2. In the qualitative study, a semi-structured interview was employed to study four cases to investigate managers’ personal experiences and changes in attitude toward safety. Data was analysed utilising thematic analysis. The findings revealed that coaching was a positive experience and contributed to changing managers’ attitudes toward safety. The research added to the field of organisational behaviour by presenting a theoretical model that enhances the understanding of safety leadership, the development of a coaching program and providing empirical evidence that the principles of coaching and leadership development can be applied to improve safety leadership. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The mining industry in South Africa contributes significantly to the national economy. Despite stringent safety legislation, mining accidents cause numerous fatalities and injuries. Inadequate or insufficient training is often cited as a root cause of accidents. Conventional class-based safety training has not reduced the incidence of accidents significantly. By contrast, virtual reality training tools can provide simulated exposure to real-world working conditions without the associated risks. This study describes the application of design-based research (DBR) in the design and development of two desktop virtual reality (VR) systems for safety training in the South African mining industry. The results of a usability context analysis were applied in the design of a VR prototype on generic hazards recognition and rectification, which was used and evaluated at South Africa‘s largest platinum mine site. A case study was conducted to investigate the causes and occurrences of falls of ground, which resulted in the design and development of a second VR prototype focusing on identifying and addressing underground geological conditions. DBR was also used in the generation of an evaluation framework for evaluating VR training systems, namely the Desktop VR Evaluation Framework (DEVREF), which is the major deliverable of the research. DEVREF can make a major contribution to the domain of e-training in mines and is transferable and customisable beyond its initial application. The process flow of the research thus moved beyond merely providing a solution to a complex real-world problem and became a classic DBR study with dual outcomes, namely a practical real-world solution in the form of two VR training systems and a theoretical contribution in the form of the DEVREF evaluation framework. DEVREF evaluates the design of desktop VR training systems in the categories of instructional design, usability, VR systems design, and context-specific criteria for mining. The use of DEVREF is demonstrated by reporting the application of its criteria in evaluating the two VR training systems. Heuristic evaluation, end-user surveys, and interviews were used as evaluation methods. A third contribution is methodological, in that this work proposes a new DBR process model and an interaction design lifecycle model suitable for VR training systems. / Computing / D. Phil. (Information Systems)

L’exploitation minière artisanale est une activité qui intervient dans un contexte de précarité et suscité plus interrogations sur le respect des règles de l’art minier, la protection de l’environnement ainsi que la préservation de la santé, de la sécurité et du bien-être au travail des personnes impliquées. Dans le cas particulier de la Province du Katanga, en République Démocratique du Congo, elle a connu un essor particulier suite à l’effondrement de la GECAMINES, société d'État qui exploite le cuivre et le cobalt et était le principal pourvoyeur des emplois directs et indirects dans cette partie du pays. Cet essor s’est également trouvé conforté par l’envolée des prix des produits miniers et a accentué l’ampleur des problèmes posés par l’artisanat minier.<p>Alors que la plus grande attention est tournée vers la gestion des problèmes environnementaux, nous avons voulu évaluer l’impact des conditions de travail dans ce secteur d’activité sur la santé et la sécurité des exploitants artisanaux. En matérialisant cet impact, notre ambition est d’identifier les facteurs-clé sur lesquels construire une politique de promotion, d’éducation et d’amélioration de la santé au travail dans ce milieu.<p><p>Matériel et méthodes<p>Notre étude repose sur deux enquêtes réalisées en vue de circonscrire les éléments caractéristiques de la situation de travail dans l’exploitation minière artisanale. Ces enquêtes se sont déroulées dans les mines artisanales de la Ruashi et de Lupoto. Elles nous ont permis également de procéder à une observation de cette activité, telle qu’elle se pratique sur le terrain et la première enquête a été couplée à une analyse d’exposition et d’imprégnation des mineurs artisanaux aux contaminants contenus dans la gangue minéralisée.<p>L’exploitation des résultats de ces enquêtes a donné lieu à plusieurs études descriptives à visée étiologiques dans lesquelles nous avons présenté, en plus des statistiques usuelles, les Odds Ratio et les tests d’association calculés grâce au logiciel SPSS version 17. Nous avons également procédé à des revues de la littérature, principalement pour circonscrire les pathologies liées aux risques toxicologiques spécifiques à cette activité ainsi que pour identifier les facteurs-clé de succès des expériences de réforme de la mine artisanale.<p><p>Résultats<p>Les résultats obtenus ont fait l’objet des publications compilées dans la présente thèse. Pour l’essentiel, ils consistent aux constatations suivantes :<p>\ / Doctorat en Sciences de la santé publique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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MPH / Department of Public of Health / The occupational health and safety of coal mine workers is one of the major occupational challenges in the mining industry. Coal mine workers face the looming perils of potential falls of volatile rocks, the ergonomic challenges caused by bending and lifting heavy objects in their daily work, the challenges caused by inhaling coal mine dust which can cause coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and a plethora of other hazards in both underground and open cast mines on a daily basis. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of coal mineworkers pertaining to occupational health and safety at the Leeuwpan mine in Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative, cross sectional descriptive design. Self-reported questionnaires with closed-ended questions were administered to the eligible participants. The study targeted the 3200 coal mineworkers who were employed at the Leeuwpan mine in Lephalale. A sample of 356 mineworkers was used as derived from Slovin’s formula and data was collected over a period of 5 days at the Leeuwpan mine. Measures to ensure validity and reliability were ensured and ethical considerations were observed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to analyse the data. Results and recommendations are based on the findings of the study. / NRF

PhDENV / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / See the attached abstract below