, QUESTION 1 [20]
1.1 Sectors that have shown improvement and those remaining high risk (10
marks)
Over the past decade, South Africa’s mining industry has witnessed measurable
progress in occupational health outcomes, although wide disparities persist across
sectors. Statistical analyses from the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC 2025)
reveal a notable overall decline in occupational disease incidence—from over 2 200
cases in 2022 to fewer than 1 900 cases in 2023. Substantial improvement has been
recorded in the manganese, iron, chrome, coal, copper and diamond sectors, where
enhanced mechanisation and dust-suppression technologies have significantly
reduced airborne contaminant exposure. In contrast, the gold sector remains
persistently high-risk, particularly for silicosis and tuberculosis (TB), while the
platinum sector continues to show elevated levels of noise-induced hearing loss
(NIHL).
The underlying reasons for improvement in some sectors are largely technological
and organisational. Increased automation and wet-drilling systems have minimised
respirable dust concentrations, while stricter enforcement of the Mine Health and
Safety Act 29 of 1996 has strengthened employer accountability for hazard
identification and control (Department of Mineral Resources and Energy 2024). The
adoption of continuous personal dust monitoring, coupled with improved ventilation,
has also been instrumental. Coal and iron-ore mines have benefited from newer
infrastructure and shorter operating life cycles, which limit exposure to legacy dust
accumulation (Hermanus 2019). Furthermore, the tripartite collaboration between
government, labour and industry through initiatives such as the “Masoyise Health
Programme” has advanced routine health screening and treatment adherence for TB
and HIV co-infections—key factors that reduce disease incidence (Stuckler et al.
2022).
However, the persistence of high-risk patterns in the gold and platinum sectors
reflects deeper structural and geological conditions. Gold mining in South Africa
often takes place at extreme depths, sometimes exceeding 3 km below the surface,
where high temperatures and poor ventilation facilitate dust re-suspension (Rees &
1.1 Sectors that have shown improvement and those remaining high risk (10
marks)
Over the past decade, South Africa’s mining industry has witnessed measurable
progress in occupational health outcomes, although wide disparities persist across
sectors. Statistical analyses from the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC 2025)
reveal a notable overall decline in occupational disease incidence—from over 2 200
cases in 2022 to fewer than 1 900 cases in 2023. Substantial improvement has been
recorded in the manganese, iron, chrome, coal, copper and diamond sectors, where
enhanced mechanisation and dust-suppression technologies have significantly
reduced airborne contaminant exposure. In contrast, the gold sector remains
persistently high-risk, particularly for silicosis and tuberculosis (TB), while the
platinum sector continues to show elevated levels of noise-induced hearing loss
(NIHL).
The underlying reasons for improvement in some sectors are largely technological
and organisational. Increased automation and wet-drilling systems have minimised
respirable dust concentrations, while stricter enforcement of the Mine Health and
Safety Act 29 of 1996 has strengthened employer accountability for hazard
identification and control (Department of Mineral Resources and Energy 2024). The
adoption of continuous personal dust monitoring, coupled with improved ventilation,
has also been instrumental. Coal and iron-ore mines have benefited from newer
infrastructure and shorter operating life cycles, which limit exposure to legacy dust
accumulation (Hermanus 2019). Furthermore, the tripartite collaboration between
government, labour and industry through initiatives such as the “Masoyise Health
Programme” has advanced routine health screening and treatment adherence for TB
and HIV co-infections—key factors that reduce disease incidence (Stuckler et al.
2022).
However, the persistence of high-risk patterns in the gold and platinum sectors
reflects deeper structural and geological conditions. Gold mining in South Africa
often takes place at extreme depths, sometimes exceeding 3 km below the surface,
where high temperatures and poor ventilation facilitate dust re-suspension (Rees &
