ASPASA
NEW NAME, NEW FOCUS
By Robyn Grimsley
The year 2017 saw Aspasa — previously known as the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of
South Africa — broadening its focus to represent all surface mines.
Training to uplift an industry
Deepening skills shortages in the surface
mining industry have led Aspasa to launch
several new training workshops that aim to
address the problem at its source.
Just six months into the programme, the
education regimen is receiving much praise
from companies who have sent staff members
to attend the workshops. Requests are
already being fielded for follow-up courses to
further upskill staff who have attended.
34 _ QUARRY SA | NOVEMBER 2017
I
n addition to its long-standing member
base in the aggregates industry,
Aspasa’s members now include
those working in dimension stone,
salt mining, silica mining, lime producers,
and clay brick producers, as well as some
contractors who deal with borrow pits and
contract mining.
The association’s focus is on skills
development, health and safety,
environment, quality, legal compliance,
transport and many more areas relevant to
the surface mining industry.
Since its change in direction, one area that
Aspasa has decided to become more directly
involved in is skills development in the surface
mining sector. There are a number of reasons
behind this decision: there is no other industry
body coordinating skills development within
the sector, training is expensive, and service
providers only cover certain areas.
Aspasa uses a service provider that is
registered with the Mining Qualifications
Authority (MQA), as well as specialists, to run
workshops on specific areas. For example,
attorneys would be contracted to run
workshops on competition legislation as well
as health and safety.
The association’s decision to become
involved in skills development is intended to
ensure that all Aspasa members can access
— and afford — training; that the needs of
the industry (as identified by the industry)
are catered for; and that members — and the
industry as a whole — are compliant with all
relevant legislation, including that relating to
social and labour plans.
Aspasa office manager, Mary-Ann Sutton.
According to Aspasa’s office manager
Mary-Ann Sutton, the courses are specifically
aimed at areas of the industry where skills
development is needed, and were developed
following two surveys that were conducted
by the association to determine the most
immediate needs of the industry.
The Skills Development Committee (Training)
has also been established, with many new
ideas already on the table since the first
meeting was held in June this year.
“Trainers are sourced from within
the industry where relevant and all have
exceptionally strong training backgrounds. In
many instances, the courses offered are fully
accredited so that CPD points can be claimed.
Thus far there has been a strong uptake for
all the courses held, which shows that the
courses are relevant,” says Sutton.
“Where possible, the courses are offered
in all regions across the country if there is
sufficient demand. Alternatively, courses
are offered in the major centres and can be
arranged for individual companies if a need
exists. The courses can also be repeated if need
be. Also, if changes in legislation or working
practices occur we may choose to update the
course and offer it as a refresher,” she adds.
Aspasa is again undertaking surveys in the
latter half of 2017 and encourages companies
to put forward their requirements. If there
is sufficient requirement for a new course,
then relevant and concise workshops
will be compiled to provide the pertinent
information in a short and succinct manner
to minimise time out of the office.
Courses offered include health and safety,
fatigue management, crushing and screening,
G1 base training, lockout workshop, total
quality management for skills development,
Section 54 workshop, SHE REP, blasting, and
proximity detection systems (PDS).
Aspasa is willing to assist with a short
three-hour course for a company to
familiarise senior staff with the Mine
Health and Safety Act (MHSA) and related
information. To find out more about the
workshops, visit the Aspasa website at
www.aspasa.co.za and click on the training
link, which has all the course details as well as
online booking facilities.
Environmental audits to include
satellite operations from 2018
Starting in 2018, the annual Environmental
Audit that Aspasa conducts at its member
operations will include satellite operations
such as asphalt plants. This is because these
operations have been identified as potentially
affecting the mining operations under a
variety of legislation, including the National
Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the
National Environmental Management: Air
Quality Act (NEM: AQA), the National Water
Act (NWA), the National Environmental
Management: Waste Act (NEM: WA), and
the Mineral and Petroleum Resources
Development Act (MPRDA).
The auditors have identified significant
risks to Aspasa member operations hosting
these satellite operations, which include
suspension or cancellation of a mining
licence (S47 and S93 of the MPRDA); penalties
in terms of possible clean-up costs (S19 of the
NWA; S28 of NEMA; various sections of the
NEM: WA and NEM: AQA, and so on); penalties
for the “land owner; person in control of
the land; directly responsible; indirectly
responsible or negligent” as defined in both