I Sverige har vi en trend med ökande axellaster på våra järnvägar, där den mest utsatta sträckan är Malmbanan mellan Luleå och Riksgränsen. Ökade axellaster leder i regel även till ett ökat slitage och nedbrytning av de ingående konstruktionsdelarna i anläggningen. För stålbroar innebär högre axellaster att utmattningsspänningarna ökar, med följden att den teoretiska utmattningslivslängden minskar. Vid byggandet av en ny bro med ett bärverk i stål kan utmattningsverifieringen antingen utföras med den enklare λ-metoden eller den mer omfattande Palmgren-Miners delskadehypotes. I detta examensarbete har det studerats hur valet av modell påverkar resultatet av utmattningsverifieringen. Fokus har legat på en fallstudie av järnvägsbron över Rörströmsälven där utmattningen kontrollerats med Palmgren-Miners delskadehypotes och λ-metoden. Bron har kontrollerats för både övrig järnvägstrafik samt för tung massgodstrafik, som Malmbanan, för att se hur metoderna skiljer sig åt vid olika trafikförutsättningar.   Den faktor som påverkar utmattningen mest är ökad axellast på grund av det icke linjära förhållandet mellan den förväntande utmattningslivslängden och spänningsvidden i stålet. Antalet cykler har också en stor påverkan på utmattningslivslängden men det är inte lika starkt påverkande på grund av ett linjärt förhållande mellan utmattningslivslängden och antalet cykler. En skillnad mellan den enklare λ-metoden och Palmgren-Miners delskadehypotes är att den bygger på en enda trafiklastmodell (LM71), samt att metoden bygger på λ-faktorer som beaktar spännvidd, trafikmängd, livslängd samt trafik på flera spår. Den mer omfattande Palmgren-Miners delskadehypotes bygger i stället på delskador som orsakas av varje enskild tågtyp som passerar bron under dess livslängd. De olika tågtyperna definieras enligt SS-EN 1991–2 och trafiksammansättningarna med tillhörande trafikmängd definieras av Trafikverket. Denna metod kan därför anpassas mer till den faktiska trafiken som bron utsätts för under sin livslängd. Resultatet från detta examensarbete indikerar på att den enklare λ-metoden inte är tillräckligt konservativ för att tillämpa i alla situationer. Där broar dimensioneras för övrig trafik kan λ-metoden tillämpas på säker sida, medan för broar som dimensioneras för tung massgodstrafik så visar det sig att λ-metoden inte är tillräckligt konservativ och därmed på osäker sida, i jämförelse med en beräkning av delskadan. Även om λ-metoden förefaller vara tillräckligt konservativ för broar som dimensioneras för övrig trafik så finns det fördelar med att tillämpa den mer omfattande Palmgren-Miners delskadehypotes för att erhålla en mer materialeffektiv konstruktion, vilket är en stor fördel vid stålkonstruktioner då stålindustrin står för 7 % av världens koldioxidutsläpp. Resultaten som påvisas i denna rapport bygger på fallstudien av bron över Rörströmsälven. För att dra mer konkreta slutsatser behöver fler brotyper med olika spännvidder och flerspannsbroar studeras där även andra kritiska detaljer kan kontrolleras. / In Sweden, we have a trend of increasing axle loads on our railways, with the most vulnerable stretch being the Malmbanan between Luleå and Riksgränsen. Increased axle loads generally lead to increased wear and degradation of the constituent parts of the infrastructure. For steel bridges, higher axle loads result in increased fatigue stresses, leading to a decrease in the theoretical fatigue life. When constructing a new bridge with a steel structure, fatigue verification can be carried out using either the simpler λ-coefficient method or the more comprehensive Palmgren-Miners cumulative damage method. This thesis examines how the choice of model affects the results of fatigue verification, focusing on a case study of the railway bridge over Rörströmsälven, where fatigue has been assessed using both the Palmgren-Miners cumulative damage method and the λ-coefficient method. The bridge has been assessed for both regular railway traffic and heavy freight traffic like Malmbanan, to observe the differences between the methods under different traffic conditions. The factor that most affects fatigue is increased axle load due to the non-linear relationship between the expected fatigue life and the stress range in the steel. The number of cycles also has a significant impact on fatigue life, although it is not as pronounced due to a linear relationship between fatigue life and the number of cycles. A difference between the simpler λ-coefficient method and Palmgren-Miners cumulative damage method is that the former is based on a single traffic load model (LM71) and λ-factors that consider span length, traffic volume, service life, and traffic on multiple tracks. The more comprehensive Palmgren-Miners cumulative damage method is on the other hand based on damages caused by each individual train type passing over the bridge during its service life. The different train types are defined according to SS-EN 1991–2, and the traffic compositions with corresponding traffic volumes are defined by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket). Therefore, this method can be better adapted to the actual traffic the bridge is exposed to during its service life. The results of this thesis indicate that the simpler λ-coefficient method is not conservative enough to apply in all situations. While the λ-coefficient method can be applied safely when bridges are designed for regular traffic, it is not conservative enough for bridges designed for heavy freight traffic, compared to a calculation of the cumulative damage. Even though the λ-coefficient method appears to be conservative enough for bridges designed for regular traffic, there are advantages to applying the more comprehensive Palmgren-Miners cumulative damage method, as it can lead to a more material-efficient design, which is a significant advantage for steel structures, considering that the steel industry accounts for 7% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. The results presented in this report are based on the case study of the bridge over Rörströmsälven. To draw more general conclusions, more types of bridges with different span lengths and multi-span bridges need to be studied, where other critical details also can be assessed.

Thesis (MAud)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In developing countries, like Namibia, there is limited data pertaining to the number of individuals with hearing loss and its associated factors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of potential hearing loss in Namibian Class A mines and to describe the extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with hearing loss. A cross-sectional design was utilised and data were collected from 132 respondents (mining employees) from five different Class A mines throughout the country. A questionnaire and a retrospective review of respondents’ medical records were utilised to determine the risk factors. The most recent audiogram found in the respondents’ records was used to determine the presence of potential hearing loss. Three definitions of potential hearing loss were used in this study and included all major frequency hearing loss (AFHL), high frequency hearing loss (HFHL) and low frequency hearing loss (LFHL). Potential hearing loss was identified when the pure tone average (PTA) of 0.5, 1, 2, & 4kHz, 0.5, 1 & 2kHz and 4 & 8kHz respectively was greater than 25dBHL in either one or both ears. Chi-square measurements or, where necessary, Fisher’s exact tests, as well as Odds Ratios were used for the analysis of data. In general a significance level of 5% was applied for all analyses. Results indicated the prevalence of potential hearing loss in Namibian mining employees to be 27% and that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors were associated with hearing loss. The extrinsic factors significantly associated with potential hearing loss were both occupational and medical. The occupational factors found to be significant were the number of years employed in whole life >10 years (p=0.012; OR=3.1, 95% CI=1.3-7.9), the number of years employed in current job > 10 years (p=0.01; OR=3.9, 95% CI1.7-8.8) and the non-availability of formal training in prevention of hearing loss (p=0.022; OR=0.3, 95% CI (0.1-0.9). Diabetes was the sole significant extrinsic medical factor (p=0.035, OR=5, 95% CI 1.1-22.1). The only intrinsic factor which was found to be significantly associated with hearing loss was Age, specifically being older than 40 years (p=0.002; OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.6-7.8) and 50 years (p=0.001, OR=5.5, 95% CI1.9-15.8). A multiple logistic regression model of all significant factors found that only no formal training of prevention of hearing loss was found to be significant in the presence of all other factors (p=0.036, OR=0.036, 95% 0.1-0.92). Findings from this study suggest that multiple factors may be associated with potential hearing loss and not just the exposure to hazardous occupational conditions. Recommendations for future research and clinical practice should, therefore, include thorough investigations into the aetiology of hearing loss. As this study focused on Class A mines, it is recommended that future research be conducted in other mines that are not categorised as Class A mines. Keywords: prevalence, extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors, extrinsic occupational factors, extrinsic social factors, extrinsic medical factors, potential hearing loss, mining industry, Class A mine, Namibia. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ontwikkelende lande, soos Namibië, is daar beperkte data met betrekking tot die aantal individue met gehoorverlies en sy verwante faktore. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die voorkoms van gehoorverlies in Namibiese Klas A myne te bepaal en die ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke faktore wat verband hou met potensiale gehoorverlies te beskryf. 'n Deursnee-ontwerp is gebruik en data is ingesamel uit 132 respondente (mynbou werknemers), uit vyf verskillende Klas A myne regdeur die land. 'n Vraelys en 'n retrospektiewe oorsig van die respondente se mediese rekords is gebruik om die risiko faktore te bepaal. Die mees onlangse oudiogram wat in die respondente se rekords gevind is, is gebruik om die teenwoordigheid van potensiale gehoorverlies te bepaal. Drie definisies van potensiale gehoorverlies is gebruik in hierdie studie, ingesluit al die groot frekwensie gehoorverliese (AFHL), hoë frekwensie gehoorverlies (HFHL) en 'n lae frekwensie gehoorverlies (LFHL). ‘n Gehoorverlies was teenwoordig wanneer die suiwer toon gemiddelde (PTA van 0.5 , 1 , 2, & 4kHz , 0.5, 1 & 2kHz en 4 & 8kHz onderskeidelik , groter was as 25dBHL in een of albei ore. Chi -square metings of, waar nodig, Fisher se presiese toetse, asook kans verhoudings is gebruik vir die ontleding van data. In die algemeen is 'n beduidendeidsvlak van 5% gebruik en toegepas vir al die ontledings. Resultate het aangedui die voorkoms van gehoorverlies in Namibiese mynbouwerknemers tot 27 % was en dat beide ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke faktore ‘n verband toon met potensiaal gehoorverlies. Die ekstrinsieke faktore wat ‘n beduidende verband getoon het met gehoorverlies was albei beroeps- en mediese faktore. Die beroepsfaktore wat betekenisvol was, was die aantal jare diens in hele lewe > 10 jaar ( p = 0,012 ; OR = 3.1 , 95 % CI = 1.3-7.9) , die aantal jare in huidige pos> 10 jaar diens (p = 0,01 ; OF = 3.9 , 95 % CI1.7-8.8 ) en die onbeskikbaarheid van formele opleiding in die voorkoming van potensiaal gehoorverlies (p = 0,022 ; OF = 0,3 , 95 % CI ( 0,1-0,9 ). Diabetes was die enigste beduidende ekstrinsieke mediese faktor (p = 0,035 , OR = 5 , 95 % CI 1,1-22,1 ). Die enigste intrinsieke faktor watbeduidend was en verband hou met gehoorverlies was ouderdom, spesifiek om ouer as 40 jaar ( p = 0,002 ; OF = 3.5 , 95 % CI 1,6-7,8 ) en 50 jaar ( p = 0.001 , OR = 5.5 , 95 % CI1.9-15.8 ) te wees. 'n Veelvuldige regressie model van alle beduidende faktore het bevind dat slegs geen formele opleiding in die voorkoming van gerhoor verlies beduidende was in die teenwoordigheid van al die ander faktore ( p = 0,036 , OR = 0,036 , 95 % 0,1-0,92 ) . Bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat verskeie faktore geassosieer kan word met gehoorverlies en nie net die blootstelling aan gevaarlike beroepstoestande nie. Aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing en kliniese praktyk moet dus 'n grondige ondersoek na die etiologie van gehoorverlies uitvoer. Aangesien hierdie studie gefokus het op die Klas A- myne , word dit aanbeveel dat toekomstige navorsing gedoen word in ander myne wat nie gekategoriseer is as Klas A myne nie. Sleutelwoorde: Voorkoms, ekstrinsieke faktore, instrinsieke faktore, ekstrinsieke beroepsfaktore, ekstrinsieke sosiale faktore, ekstrinsieke mediese faktore, potensiale gehoorverlies, Klas A myn, Namibië.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The mining bubble is over, and mining companies in South Africa are under pressure to remain viable concerns. This forces companies to cut their cost through organisational restructuring, closing down of mines and cost-saving technologies. All of these result in job losses in the mining sector. However, the companies do have a social responsibility to help uplift and create jobs in the mining areas and labour-sending regions. The study reviews examples of corporate-social-development projects of mines that relate to agriculture. Furthermore, the study looks at projects stemming from the government’s desire for land reform and rural social-economic upliftment of previously disadvantaged communities. In this context contract farming is an ideal way to tackle comprehensively the re-employment challenges. Against that background, which combines literature review and brief summaries of case studies, the dissertation reviews contract farming as an approach towards agricultural development and job creation. The lessons from the socio-economic development projects, rural-reforms and contract-farming projects are used as inputs to evolve a framework for the local approach to contract farming, related to mining areas. This includes considerations of implementation challenges likely to be experienced.

This thesis examines the development of health and safety in the British coalmining industry in the period of rapid expansion 1840 to 1913 through a case study of the Warwickshire coalfield. It will assess the contribution of the miner, the coalowners and the State to improvements to mine safety. Although historians have been attracted to this period of coalfield expansion, they have tended to concentrate upon the complex economics necessary for success or the fractious record of industrial relations, with health and safety marginalised to the periphery. They have also mainly taken their exemplars from the important coal exporting activities of the North-East and South Wales, together with the larger coalfields of Scotland, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. By studying the Warwickshire fatalities and comparing that experience with the neighbouring counties of the East Midlands and national data, this thesis will reveal how local factors influenced safety in the mines. The individual miner had little influence upon mine safety in the period 1840 through to the mid 1870's when the sub-contracting butty system removed owners from the responsibilities of production. The establishment of a permanent Warwickshire Miners’ Association from the 1880’s, characterised by moderate leadership who sought to work closely with employers, gained for the Warwickshire miner superior earnings and conditions of employment, even when compared to neighbouring coalfields in the prosperous Midland Division. This undermines the national caricature of coalowners as brutal capitalists with little regard for their workers or communities where they gained their wealth. The results showed conclusively that it was not the mode of management but the size of the enterprise that was the dominating factor. Fatalities increased in the large deep mines that became more common at the turn of the century and were more susceptible to deaths from falls of coal and men crushed by wagons on the surface. The role of the State was somewhat patchy. Mine Inspectors could recommend that horses employed in oncost haulage should work in shafts rather than chains and that low tension batteries should be used to bring down coal, but owners were free to ignore this advice, with fatal consequences to the workforce. They were more successful in promoting the professionalization of mine management and at the turn of the century legislation was the dominant factor in the adoption of patent explosives to replace the use of gunpowder in Warwickshire mines. This thesis builds upon recent studies by McIvor and Mills which have sought to address this neglect of health and safety in the British coal mining industry. By approaching this through the study of a small coalfield that has largely been ignored by mining historians, it reveals how local factors influenced the contribution of the miner, the coalowner and the State to the problem of accidents and fatalities in the coal industry.

A theoretical framework is developed for incorporating class conflict dynamics into accumulation theories of labor market segmentation by analyzing the transaction costs of conflict under varying conditions of economic structure and power resources. The theory has the "bottom up" perspective developed in the "new social history." Skill is treated as a status for which workers struggle and internal labor market hierarchies are considered products of the conflicting strategies between capital and labor. Split-labor market theory is also discussed as a method for explaining why workers discriminate. This theory is amended to distinguish between market and class interests of workers, and to take into account the self-perpetuating economic effects of racist discourse. My historical analysis of the metal-mining industry emphasizes the formation of ethnically stratified segments of the labor market in which Chinese and Mexican workers were denied access to the craft-internal labor market for skilled workers. Competition over mining claims under the threat of takeover by mining companies created ethnic antagonism between Chinese and white independent petty-commodity miners. Discrimination by the white independent miners crowded the Chinese into the labor market, which reduced Chinese wages, and induced conflict between white and Chinese wage workers in the company-mines. Ethnic antagonism in combination with intense class struggle produced a segregated labor market between Mexican miners and Anglo supervisors during the initial proletarianization of the mines. Mexican miners were later displaced by Cornish miners who developed a segregated craft-internal labor market. Analysis of the labor process shows that mechanization initially facilitated the struggle by Cornish miners for a skilled status, contrary to homogenization expectations. Mexican miners were relegated to unskilled manual positions.

M.A. / During the 1930's industrial expansion which marked the rise of industrial trade unions also precipitated the process of urbanization and proletarianization of large numbers of rural Afrikaans-speaking migrants, resulting into acute poverty and unemployment. The Labour Party, dominating the established trade union movement during this period, drew its support from the craft unions in the Trades and Labour Council-structure which strongly opposed the new rural migrants clustering around the least skilled and lowest paid occupations in the rising industrial unions. At the same time foreign and communistic influences also prevailed in the existing trade unions. National-minded leaders who became increasingly concerned with the serious effects of proletarianization set out to smash the ideology of class which threatened national unity. Thus their endeavour to capture working class support for Afrikaner na- tionalism by means of organizing the Afrikaans-speaking workers in right wing inclined trade unions which they labelled 'Christian National'. As control over trade union funds also proved to be a valuable source of income, the mobilization of the Afrikaner worker provided both the means of developing Afrikaner capital and gaining political power. In October 1936 the Nasionale Raad van Trustees (NRT) was formed to provide the financial backing for Afrikaner trade unions and to act as liaison body with the Afrikaner nation. It's aim to break the power which the Labour Party had gained in South African politics led to the organization of Afrikaans speaking mine workers in the Trades and Labour Councils' largest non-craft affiliate, the Mine Workers Union (MWU). This resulted in the formation of the Afrikanerbond van Myn- werkers (ABM) as a alternative union to the MWU during November 1936.

A research report presented to the Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development, Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, July 2017 / Women have previously been discouraged from pursuing careers in the mining industry given the nature of the work in the field and the physical strength needed to do the work. However, literature has reported an increase in the number of women penetrating the field in recent years (Benya, 2009; Singer, 2002). New legislative frameworks in South Africa, such as the Mining Charter of 2002 (amended 2010) and the Mineral Petroleum Resources Development Act have made provisions for females to be absorbed into the field of mining, but this has not gone without challenges. This study thus sought to gain in-depth understanding of the experiences of underground female mine workers and demystify gender barriers that affect the functioning of women within the mining sector. The study was qualitative in nature and adopted a case study design to richly understand the phenomenon. The study used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Ten participants and two key informants were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data collected from participants was analysed using thematic analysis, in conjunction with the literature reviewed. The study addressed the social and human needs of female mine workers. It was found that, the mining industry has not been progressive in adequately addressing the unique needs of women who work underground. The study was essential in unravelling the experiences of female mine workers and thus made recommendations that can be used to introduce workplace appropriate interventions to be implemented to ensure that underground women mine workers are well accommodated within the industry. / XL2018

Thesis (M.M. (Public and Development Management))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits School of Governance, 2016. / The political and constitutional changes in South Africa brought about fundamental features through the transformation agenda in the public service. Of primary importance is that the South African political transformation processes have been characterised by a culture of transparency, participation and accountability. These values are in direct contrast to what presently obtains in the Department of Health’s exmineworker compensation system. Within this context it emerged as a concern that that the system of governance that managed the compensation system was not responsive to the needs of ex-mineworkers. Ex-mineworkers experienced serious delays in time before accessing government compensation. There were claimants that were deceased whilst awaiting an outcome of their applications for compensation. The enormity and complexity of the system was underestimated by government departments. Legal firms and related professionals handling the cases of ex-mineworkers earned more than £1.3-billion in fees for taking up the cases of claimants. The costs of administration in the handling of claims surpassed the actual amounts paid out to claimants eventually. At the centre of the civil service management in South Africa, was the Department of Public Service and Administration. It was here that policies on governance were developed. The Department of Public Service and Administration was responsible for the establishment of norms and standards for the entire Public Service. Under the auspices of this centralised function, service delivery mechanisms were ensured, there was access to integrated systems, the framework for human resources management was developed, and in the development of policies focus was given to the needs of the citizens. ii The purpose of this study was to explore reasons for the low compensation uptake, and to examine systems and inform changes that would allow exmineworkers in the Eastern Cape, Oliver Tambo District to better manage their access to government compensation. The mining industry plays a significant role in the South African economy long after the discovery of gold in 1886. With little evidence of policy and legislative reform, and after 22 years into South Africa’s democracy, the scourge of failing respiratory health amongst ex-mineworkers has not decreased. miners face an epidemic of occupational lung disease. The challenge of tracking and tracing ex-miners to capacitate them on their rights and benefits of compensation, owed and owing to them, forms the basis of this study. The governance of the system of compensation for ex-miners is not bringing the large numbers closer to easy access. Whilst the challenges may well be present, this study is intended to raise awareness of the problem, investigate the cause/s and offer recommendations that will provide relief to a population in South Africa that could be seemingly lost if not told of what benefits are available to themselves (if alive) and nominated beneficiaries (in the case of those who are deceased). This study was concerned with gaining a better understanding of why exmineworkers in the OR Tambo District of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were not accessing their compensation benefits, rather than to measure certain outputs and outcomes. It was primarily interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of how information is being disseminated and how it is being influenced by different variables. A qualitative approach was chosen in order to portray the detailed understanding and specific dynamics experienced by ex-mineworkers in accessing compensation benefits from the Department of Health. iii The importance of good governance in improving service delivery was explained and spoke to what constituted good governance, the importance of proper planning during periods of transition and why governance should be a continuous activity as well as the importance of planning in public institutions. In this study, the need for good governance to improve service delivery, were identified, with specific reference to those aspects of good governance that could better equip the ex-mineworkers in the Eastern Cape to better understand the compensation and in so doing would guide the research process. / GR2018

No description available.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology), 2016 / This research contributes to an understanding of how female mineworkers make sense of themselves and how gender identities are constructed in mining. Mine work has for a long time been seen as allowing for particular masculine self-formations and mineworkers embodying specific mining masculine subjectivities. The entrance of women in South African mines from 2004 and their allocation into occupations that were previously exclusively reserved for men is a significant challenge and a disruption to masculine subjectivities and the occupational culture. This thesis illustrates what transpires when socially constructed gender boundaries are crossed. This is what the women are doing with their entry into underground mining. For ten and a half months, between 2011 and 2012 I worked in the mines and lived with mineworkers. During this period I completely submerged myself into the life world of mine workers to get an in-depth understanding of the ways female mineworkers understand themselves and navigate the masculine mining world. I managed to get the subtle, nuanced, instantaneous and unnoticeable ways which produce and reproduce the fluid and contested gender identities. Drawing on insights from a range of feminist theorists and feminist readings of theories I argue that the construction of gendered identities in mining is an ongoing embodied performative process which is articulated in fluid ways in different mining spaces within certain structural, relational and historical constraints. The thesis presents a typology outlining four categories of femininities; mafazi, money makers, real mafazi and madoda straight, that are performed and produced underground by women mineworkers. At home these performances are unstable and disrupted as women attempt to reconcile their role as mothers, wives and their workplace 2 identities as underground miners with their notions of femininity. This necessitates a renegotiation of gender ideologies, performances and identities. In this thesis I succinctly present the fluid, multiple, contradictory and contested processes involved in constructing gendered identities; above ground, underground, and at home. Drawing from this evidence I conclude that women do not approach the workplace or labour process as empty vessels or act as cogs-in the mining machines but are active agents in the construction of their gender identities. The key elements I use to analyse gendered identities are; gendered spaces, embodiment, social and material bodies (as sites of control, resistance and agency) and performativity. I argue that all of these converge and are central to the construction of gendered identities. Key Words: Women in mining, gendered identities, subjectivities, femininities, masculinities, gender performances, embodiment, gendered spaces, gender transformation. / GR2017