29 Jul 2015

Boseto Copper Mine’s operation manager, Mr Stewart Wallace, says they will ensure that their employees are safe at all times as they prepare to launch into underground mining within three years.

He said in an interview that they had a geo-tech engineer who would ensure that a risk assessment was conducted regularly in order to put safety measures in place.
Although underground mining in general had its hazards, Mr Wallace noted that their intention was to have stable tunnels that would not collapse.

“Safety is paramount. We will do our best to ensure that our employees are safe all the time,” he said.

Bosetu Mine, which has been closed for four months, is now owned by Khoemacau Copper Mining and operations were expected to start within three years.  The new management decided on underground mining in order to remain competitive in the market.

Mr Wallace said some of the existing infrastructure would be upgraded.

He expressed hope that electricity connection to the site would be complete by the time mining starts.

For his part, the geo-tech engineer, Mr Puso Akanyang, said studies would be conducted as it was important to understand the condition of the rock before going underground.

He emphasised the need for basic safety precautions, adding that continuous risk assessment had to be done to ensure that employees would not work in dangerous areas.

Common basic safety precautions in mines included adequate ventilation, face protection and heavy clothing, and careful tracking of everyone who entered the mine.
Sharp or projecting objects are removed or clearly labeled so that individuals do not hurt themselves. Ends