Mining contractor Murray & Roberts Cementation is engineering a new shaft sinking methodology for its African operations that will see both an increase in productivity and an improvement in the safety performance of its shaft sinking project teams.

Technical director Tim Wakefield reports that the company is testing improvements to its shaft sinking technology even though it does not have problems with the current methodology.

“The routine work that the company does is fundamental to the completion of its projects but can also be greatly improved when its own people seek creative, new ways of getting things done. 
“Without a constant flow of new ideas, which can be channelled into operational delivery, a business will not improve its competitive advantage,” says Wakefield.

He explains that the company has already engineered a base case for the new methodology for shaft sinking.

The importance of a base case is that it is a starting point from which the company can then look at alternatives and associated risk profiles. 
Engineered solutions must beat the challenge of those who have to implement them, must be totally supported by top management, constitute a business case and be beneficial to clients. 
Developed concepts are subjected to internal, local and international peer reviews and, once optimised, the company will be able to start detailed engineering and modelling of this methodology. 
In this instance, the first time-based model was completed at the end of January 2010.

Wakefield adds that this is an engineered methodology rather than an evolutionary advancement and it is not a reactive or random process.

“As the focus on occupational health 
and safety (OHS) in mines continues to gather momentum, Murray & Roberts is forced through its own values and market pressure to work outside of its comfort 
zone to find ways of increasing worker safety. 
“A freshly engineered methodology will achieve this by critically examining each person’s role and physical location in the shaft barrel, replacing large numbers of unskilled labour with smaller numbers of multiskilled people willing to carry out both menial and skilled tasks. 
“The reduction in the human footprint will naturally lend itself to enhanced OHS, better employee teamwork and greater engagement with their tasks,” says Wakefield.

He adds that the implementation of this strategy will require a major mindset shift for all stakeholders. 
However, Wakefield is confident that the pressure exerted by OHS concerns, combined with the need to adopt inventiveness in tough times, will see 
the new methodology welcomed by the market.