A review of rock-related fatality trends in the South African gold mining industry

A database was developed in 1990 to store and allow analysis of information on rockfall and rockburst fatal accidents that occur in the tabular orebody gold mines in South Africa. The information populating the database is extracted from the inquiry reports compiled by the inspectorate of the Department of Minerals and Energy. Also included in the database is the annual production, expressed as square metres mined, for each of the reefs mined. The production data is used as a normalizing factor in the analysis of the accident statistics. Various types of analysis of the data are performed with the objectives, inter alia of determining trends, with time, on the occurrence of rock related accidents; and the influence of mining depth on the ratio of rockburst to rockfall accidents, bearing in mind the increase in mining induced seismicity with depth. An additional parameter extracted from the database, and important in the design of support is the distribution of fall-out thicknesses in the different ground control districts. The locations in the mines, where accidents are most likely to occur, are quantified in order to highlight areas of concern and where research effort should be concentrated. Analysis is also carried out to determine the relative risk of mining the different reefs, which have different geo-technical conditions. This also focuses attention on where improved mining practice and research effort are required. The results of these analyses are presented and their significance is discussed.