Modern Quarrying January-February 2015

LAST BLAST

MQ has been in contact with retired min- ing inspector Ted Dow, who is a veritable walking encyclopaedia when it comes to health and safety on mines. The fatality In Health and Safety

below, which occurred during his time, clearly highlights the importance of machine guards and skills transfer. An artisan aide was fatally injured when he was drawn into the tail pul- ley of a duff coal feeder conveyor belt installation at a brickworks. The accident occurred in a tightly-confined area which was neither adequately illuminated nor ventilated. The investigation revealed that the deceased had been attempting to ‘track’ the belt and the tail pulley guard had been removed to access the alignment mechanisms. The subsequent enquiry brought to light the fact that the artisan aide had not been authorised by the engi- neer to work on conveyor belts. He had not been trained in the dangers of work- ing in confined spaces or the danger of De Hoek’s history goes back to 1919 when Hermon Piquetberg Lime Company first discovered limestone in the area. Its records date back to 1923, when Cape Portland Cement took over. PPC De

wearing loose clothing, and he was not being supervised at the time. In addition, the risks associated with the task at this site had not been properly assessed and no special working stan- dards had been prepared. The law says: ‘All persons who are to operate, work on or clean conveyor belts shall be specially trained in the correct procedures and be authorised by the Engineer in terms of Regulation 8.9(1)(i) to do so. ‘All confined spaces shall be identi- fied and remedial steps shall be taken to reduce the risks to persons have to work there. ‘In addition, all tracking mechanisms shall be so designed that it is not neces- sary for guards to be removed during belt tracking operations’. MQ Hoek’s general manager Johan Vorster took MQ into the storage area, and we delved into some of the dusty ledgers and paraphernalia. Photographs by Dale Kelly

The importance of guarding, or lack of as shown in this photograph (courtesy Mr Machine Guarding, Marius van Deventer).

History of quarrying On MQ’s travels around the country, I often meet and chat to retired quarry- men, who mostly agree that records of the history of the first quarries in SA are few and far between. PPC De Hoek is an exception, and its precious old records, are stored in what the operation may, in the future, turn into its own museum.

A pyrometer, still in its beautiful hand-made wooden box, which is stored in a leather case.

A Cape Portland Cement Diary for the year 1934.

Index to advertisers AEL Mining Services........................................22 Afrimat.................................................................19 ASPASA................................................................23 Babcock............................................................. IFC Barloworld Equipment...................................27 Barloworld Equipment...................................39 Barloworld Metso...............................................8 Bauma Conexpo Africa.....................................9 Bell Equipment..................................................28 Crown Publications........................................IBC Hosch-Fördertechnik SA................................29 Komatsu..............................................................16 Metso....................................................................36 MMD Mineral Sizers.....................................OBC Mynbou rigs Afrika t/a BELAZ Africa...... OFC Osborn Engineered Products.........................7 Pilot Crushtec.......................................................2

Beautiful leather-bound ledgers that MQ is itching to go through.

These letters which were typed in duplicate, with the carbon copy being on flimsy tissue-like paper, are all filed away in leather-bound books. This letter is an official request that a board meeting in 1922 is moved to another date, as one of the board members was otherwise occupied.

Beware the simpletons that parked in Mr Shepard’s or Cronje’s parking bay.

40

MODERN QUARRYING

January - February 2015