MURRAY & ROBERTS CEMENTATION LOSES NO TIME

Grout injection plants pumps specialised grout mixtures at high pressures to underground workings.

In spite of its daily operations injecting grout at depths reaching 1,600 m below surface, Murray & Roberts Cementation’s Northam injection plant has achieved a 20 year milestone without a single lost time injury.

“A compact surface team oversees the running of the plant, which includes two 100 tonne silos among a range of equipment and backup units,” says Oosthuysen. “Most are part of the underground teams, working in day shifts and night shifts. They follow the mining teams as the mine deepens, extending the grout range to allow injection to be conducted whenever necessary.”

Safety is also a key aspect of the training that injection plant staff receive at the Murray & Roberts Training Academy at Bentley Park near Carletonville. This dedicated training facility includes a mock-up of a grout plant, where the experiential value of the training is enhanced.

Van Buuren highlights the importance of engaging every member of the team in the safety strategies employed, right down to the selection and adoption of protective equipment. In line with regulations and best practice, there is considerable time invested in deciding on even the most appropriate PPE such as boots or glasses to ensure these serve the purpose – before these are rolled out for use.

“This is part of visible leadership, a corporate strategic imperative that provides an example to our younger people,” he explains. “It prevents the ‘old worker’ syndrome where experienced personnel are tempted to take short cuts despite knowing better. Constant reinforcement – including positive recognition – is vital to ensure that complacency never creeps in.”

Louis Neethling, Foreman at the grout plant, emphasises the culture of care which is nurtured within each team – where every member is expected to look after not only themselves but those around them.

“We recognise that promoting safety is rather like sweeping water uphill,” says Neethling. “If you stop sweeping, the water will run back again; it is an ongoing task to ensure safe behaviour, and to find ways of improving safety performance.”