Mining accidents
The employees in the mining industry, like any heavy industry, face greater risks than the average office worker.
At the end of January 2002, Gold Fields, SA's second biggest gold producer, said four of its miners had died in a fire at the company's Driefontein mine.
Last month AngloGold reported that two of its miners had died at its Great Noligwa mine in a rock slide.
Fatalities in the gold industry still make up more than double that recorded in any other area of the mining industry.
Last year, 174 employees were killed while working at gold operations. This was down from 182 in the previous year and the rate of deaths per 1000 workers fell slightly to 0,97 from 0,99 in 2001.
Including contract workers the SA mining industry employs 500000 and in an effort to assess any improvement in mine safety rather than looking specifically at the number of casualties the department also provides statistics which present the fatality rate in terms of casualties per 1000 employees.
Deaths in the platinum industry rose to 53 in 2002 up from 49 in 2001. The fatality rate per 1000 employees was 0,56 compared to 0,55 a year earlier.
Fatalities in the coal sector last year rose to 19 from 17 in 2001 and the rate per 1000 workers in the sector climbed to 0,41 per 1000 employees from 0,34 in the previous year.
Activity
QUESTION SIXTY
The following table gives statistics for energy consumption and production for four African Countries:
|
Countries
|
S. Africa
|
Somalia |
Algeria |
Nigeria |
|
|
Total Energy
Consumption |
73.6 |
0.11 |
7.7 |
3.8 |
|
|
Total Energy Production |
62.5 |
0 |
81.2 |
150.2 |
|
The above statistics are for the year 1973 and the units are in million metric tones of coal equivalent.
(a) Study the table carefully and answer the questions that follow.
(i) Which of these four countries are self sufficient in energy production?
(ii) Which of these countries are forced to import energy?
(iii) In what form do you think that most of these energy is imported?
(b)(i) What is the main source of energy in Algeria and Nigeria.
(ii) Name two other African countries that produce this source of energy?
(c)(i) What is the main source of energy in South Africa?
(ii) Name other African countries that produce this source of energy.
(d) (i) Name one other source of energy in South Africa.
(ii) Name one other place in Africa where this kind of energy is available.
(e) Using the statistics table above, draw a simple bar graph to show the total energy consumption and production in the four countries.
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
60.(a) (i) Nigeria and Algeria.
(ii) Somalia and S. Africa
(iii) Refined.
(b) (i) Petroleum.
(ii) Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Gabon, Angola.
c) (i) Coal.
(ii) Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zaire, Mauritania, Swaziland, Algeria.
(d) (i) Hydro electric power, solar energy and Uranium.
ii) Kariba dam in Zambia, Akosombo dam in Ghana, Nzilo and Inga in Zaire, Kainji in Nigeria, and Aswan in Egypt.