Anglo American Platinum Limited |
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Careers in Anglo Platinum
Ventilation and Occupational Hygiene Specialist
Modern mines extend beyond four kilometres below the surface and many kilometres horizontally from the main shaft. Fresh air does not naturally move into the underground working areas. In addition, the rock face can be as hot as 60 degrees centigrade. This results in extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous working conditions. The main objective of ventilation is to allow the mining process to proceed under safe and healthy environmental conditions through the supply of fresh, cool air to the working places in a mine.
Ventilating a mine or a plant may appear to be simply a matter of generating airflow into and through the underground workings. In fact, ventilation is a highly technical activity involving a great deal of extensive and detailed planning. Numerous health aspects such as heat, airborne pollutants, noise, toxic substances, gases and others must be taken into consideration.
Sound Occupational Hygiene practice will incorporate the anticipation, identification, evaluation and control of any condition on the mine that could have adverse health effects on the workforce.
Most careers are carried out in a reasonably stable and predictable environment. However, mining is carried out in an environment that is constantly changing as the mine progresses deeper into the ore body. The ventilation and occupational health specialist can expect a number of diverse and exciting situations needing his attention daily:
- ventilation planning of both the underground and surface operations
- design, implement and manage total effective Ventilation and Occupational Hygiene strategies and systems
- to enforce the adherence to legislative requirements and standards pertaining to ventilation and occupational hygiene
- to identify conditions that may adversely affect the health of workers and to design and implement measures to eliminate or control these
- to conduct routine follow-ups on the effectiveness of measures that has been implemented
- to link the results of these measures to workers' health records
- to continuously seek new or improved methods of reducing hazards and risks pertaining to health and safety
- to manage a fire protection and emergency procedure programme.
The ventilation and occupational health specialist needs a sound knowledge of the mining process. In addition, the ventilation specialist must understand engineering principles such as air flow calculations, fan design, fan selection and so on.
A young ventilation and occupational health specialist would normally spend a large amount of time underground or in the surface process plants, gathering relevant information. This information is then analysed and incorporated into reports. As the career of a ventilation and occupational health specialist develops, he or she may eventually become a member of the management team.
The diverse challenges of ventilation and occupational health specialists, provide a varied, rewarding and exciting professional career for young men and women who have the academic ability and good organisational and analytical skills.
Career Path
