Prioritising Health and Safety | Mining Indaba Insights 2025

In this episode, TDi's CEO Assheton Stewart Carter talks to four representatives from different parts of the mining industry, who will all be speaking at the 2025 Mining Indaba in Cape Town, on prioritising health and safety.

The panelists are:
Dr Thuthula Balfour, Head – Health and the Lead on Women in Mining, Minerals Council, South Africa
Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, President, Women in Mining, Ghana
Paule France Ndessomin, Regional Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union
Penny Munkawa , Occupational Health and Safety Specialist, International Labour Organisation (ILO)

The speakers discuss whether zero harm is a reality, some of the hidden costs of safety neglect and how the needs of African mining communities are being, and can be prioritised.  

Chapters

• 3:30 Thuthula - can you explain what is meant by Zero Harm targets, and where do you stand on the efficacy of health and safety targets?
• 7:33 Why do the inherent risks associated with mining operations make achieving Zero Harm targets particularly challenging? Are the statistics better when it comes to women in mining?
• 11:50 Paule - how do you see progress being made towards Zero Harm targets? Are there any hidden costs that we should bring to the attention of management teams?
• 16:23 Penny - when it comes to setting targets, have you seen achievements in other industries that mining can learn from?
• 18:16 How can technology support Zero Harm mining goals?
• 20:49 When it comes to using technology for deploying surveillance technologies in mining communities to monitor health and safety risks, what are the ethical considerations that need to be considered?
• 22:28 Penny - can AI help with health and safety, and should we be looking at the inclusion of technology in policy?
• 25:06 Paule - how is the interaction of mental health with technology being addressed?
• 29:24 Comment from Penny
• 32:23 To what extent do you think mining companies should be responsible for the health and safety of mining communities?
• 35:42 Comment from Thuthula
• 38:26 Georgette - is enough being done to consult mining communities on health and safety? How can communities be empowered and engaged - what is a best practice approach?
• 41:37 What do the panelists believe that law makers and standard setters can do to ensure that health and safety is given the importance that is required?
• 46:00 Georgette - do the regulatory frameworks address sufficiently the issues we've been discussing?
• 48:04 Penny - can law makers ensure that the ILO frameworks and standards are enforced more broadly?