Mineral Resources: Work to protect miners from coronavirus has started
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says the department is working with mining companies and labour unions to protect miners from the spread of coronavirus.
This as the sector gears up to try and minimize a local outbreak of coronavirus that could disrupt operations where hundreds of thousands of people work in close proximity.
The ministry’s Nathi Shabangu says the department’s health and safety inspectorate, working together with the mining companies and labour unions in the sector, are on high alert.
“Work in the industry began over a month ago after the World Health Organisation announced the outbreak, with a focus on preventative control, and managing any emerging risks."
The department is also engaging the sector on use of their medical facilities for broader communities, as well as the use of unoccupied houses as quarantine facilities.
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“We are on high alert and are testing the sector's level of preparedness, with a focus on preventative control and managing any emerging risks for employees and communities in which mines operate,” Shabangu says.
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