Health and safety standards very questionable at Harmony's Kusasalethu mine in Carletonville

NUM Press Statement, 24 February 2015

Health and safety standards very questionable at Harmony's Kusasalethu mine in Carletonville

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is deeply concerned on the trend of underground fires happening within Harmony operations. In 2014, there were two incidents that took place at the same mine where workers were exposed to the underground fire but luckily they came out unharmed.

About 486 workers were trapped underground in Kusasalethu on Sunday February 22, 2015 as a result of an underground fire.

“We had another underground fire incident in January 2014 at Doornkop where we lost eight lives. As a union, we are deeply concerned about the trend that continues to threaten the lives of many workers in Harmony operations.We call upon this mining house to pull up its socks and improve its health and safety system to prevent re-occurrence of these fires or these operations are heading to a disaster,” says NUM National Health and Safety Secretary Erick Gcilitshana.

“Once again we call upon the DMR inspectorate to quickly investigate the source of this fire and other contributing factors. The workers must be united in dealing with their health and safety in the mining industry and use their hard-won worker rights that NUM fought for to be legislated, says Gcilitshana.

For more information, please contact

Livhuwani Mammburu: (Acting NUM National Spokesperson )-083 809 3257

Erick Gcilitshana-(NUM Health and Safety Secretary)-082 809 3105

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167

24 Feb 2015

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