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By N. Boegman

The meteorological conditions in South Africa are not conducive to the effective dispersion of air pollutants. In the light of this, and because of the magnitude, concentration, and future growth potential of the metallurgical industry, control of air pollution is essential. Methods of abatement are discussed for each branch of the metallurgical Industry, as well as for open-cast mining and bulk ore storage. Some recommendations are made regarding potentially rewarding research and development.

Jan 1, 1978

COLLOQUIUM ON SHAFT SINKING The 'Star' published a report on the colloquium on 15th November, 1972. As this will be of interest to members, it is re-printed by kind permission of the 'Star'. Mac Thain The super-Mines of the future envisaged by Mr Jeff Goode, president of the Chamber of Mines, in his Gold Symposium address in London, will be entirely different from those producing today - not merely amalgamations of properties into bigger units.

By J. D. Austin

"Mining Projects: Evaluation, Finance, and Management" held in May 1980 rounded off a theme started with the colloquium on "Exploration Feasibility Studies and Investment Analysis" held in 1979. Seven papers on various aspects of the potential path of an ore-body from an exploration concept through to discovery, evaluation, and financing, to the management of the construction phase, were presented to the 300 delegates at the colloquium held at the National Institute for Metallurgy.

Jan 1, 1980

By R. W. O. Kersten

The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy recently held a School on iMine Project Planning, the objective being to educate mine personnel who are involved in the planning and management of major projects, as well as young engineers who may become involved in this field. Book prizes for universities Prizes are awarded annually by The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for outstanding academic achievement by mining and metallurgical students at South African universities.

Jan 1, 1985

From 19 November 1996, South African companies will be able to manage the impact their activities have on the environment in terms of international standards. The establishment of a registration scheme for environmental management systems was formally announced by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) (19 November 1996). At a function held at the SABS head office in Pretoria, Dr Jean du Plessis, President of the SABS, announced the launch of the SABS ISO 14001 registration scheme which is based upon ISO 14001, 'the internationally recognized yardstick for environmental management'.

Jan 1, 1997

By A. N. Brown

Professor D. G. Krige, of the Department of Mining Engineering of the University of the Witwatersrand, received the degree of Doctor of Engineering (honoris causa) from the University of Pretoria at the Autumn Graduation Ceremony in April 1981. He was honoured an outstanding engineer for his world-renowned pioneering work in the field of statistical methods of ore valuation, or geostatistics as it has become known. Metalliferous Ore Deposits A short course on the 'Evolution of Metalliferous Ore Deposits' will be held at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, from 8th to 13th February, 1982.

Jan 1, 1981

A new branch of the Institute-the Zululand Branch- was formed at the end of last year. After many months of preparation and perusal of address lists, it was realized that branch serving our members north of the Tugela was long overdue. A small steering committee consisting of Messrs John Selby, Dawid de Wet Smith, and Bill Kluckow got the branch of to a roaring start. They organized the inaugural meeting, which was held at the Richards Hotel in Richards Bay on 28th October,1993. Out of a possible 70 members residing in a 100 km radius, over half attended that first meeting!

Jan 1, 1994

Crossroads for Students Students in their matriculation year, whatever their background, have reached a crossroads in their lives: behind them lie the relatively carefree years of childhood; ahead lies the whole of their working lives. Whether those working lives will be rewarding and interesting depends to considerable extent on whether they get 'a good matric' and carry on to some form of further education. IPMI awards 1985 Nominations for the 1985 Awards are now being accepted by the Awards Committee of the International Precious Metals Institute. THE DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD was established to recognize important career contributions to the advancement of precious metals, be it technological, economic, or business.

Jan 1, 1984

By Donald J. Murdock

Column flotation has been developed over the past ten years as an alternative to conventional flotation. It has been used mainly in the cleaning applications of sulphide flotation, where its ability to wash the froth of entrained gangue and produce a higher-grade product has given it a distinct advantage over other technology. The benefits of column flotation can be summarized as follows: Improved concentrate gradeby 2 to 5 per cent . Significantly lower operating costs . Savings in capital investment . Superior control. Since the initial development of the equipment, a number of design improvements have been developed that now form the basis of the Cominco column-cell design. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of those design innovations, and present some typical industrial results.

Jan 1, 1991

By A. M. Thyer

Throughout the history of mining, underground fires or explosions have killed many hundreds or thousands of people. Fortunately, the safety record has gradually improved as a result of many people’s work on improving safety standards and work practices. However, fire and explosion still remains a threat in many situations. As a result the UK Mines Inspectorate commissioned a project to study materials used underground and to develop a fire/explosion risk assessment system. Such a system has been developed, following the study of incidents, specified fire resistance criteria, and fire safety practices. The final methodology uses a series of check sheets to identify potential fuels and ignition sources, preventative measures, fire/explosion mitigation systems, and items for inclusion in emergency plans.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. H. Wyndham, N. B. Strydom, S. Benade

A group of 23 underweight men weighing less than 50 kg were subjected to an acclimatization procedure in which the work rate was gradually increased from 35Watts on the first day to 70Watts on the eighth day. Excessively high body temperatures and heart rates were observed on these subjects throughout the acclimatization period and on their performance they must be rated as heat-intolerant. It can be concluded that such underweight men should not be subjected to acclimatization at such high work rates and that they should not be allocated to tasks involving these rates in a hot environment. The fact that their body surface areas are inadequate to enable them to get rid of the internal heat produced during strenuous work plus their low work capacities are the major reasons for their inability to tolerate heat.

By C. J. Badenhorst

Occupational illnesses and diseases tend to be chronic and are generally characterized by temporary or permanent physical dysfunction. With the exception of some symptoms, they are not generally visible. Therefore, safety overrides health in mining because occupational ailments take years to develop and management observes less physical trauma, if they witness anything at all. Occupational health issues need to be addressed systematically, encompassing all aspects of the interaction of employees within the work environment. Risk assessment is central to the management of occupational health. This should not be seen as a complex process and may involve little more than simply considering the consequences of one?s actions before starting work. Competent risk assessment provides the starting point and defines the scope of further action. The objectives and final use of an occupational health risk assessment determine the process and the method by which it is carried out. The occupational health risk assessment is therefore a systematic procedure to identify potential health hazards, evaluate the extent of exposure subjectively and/or objectively, and to establish the need for, and effectiveness of existing control measures. Furthermore, it facilitates the drafting of occupational exposure monitoring, medical surveillance and occupational health education programmes. Various models for conducting occupational health risk assessment provide step-by-step guidance for the identification and assessment of significant occupational health hazards and assist in producing suitable and significant occupational health risk assessments. The paper gives an overview of an occupational health risk assessment model based on the basic principles of occupational health and the legislative requirements, which will simplify the occupational health risk assessment process and ensure a sound base for the development of all other occupational health systems.

Jan 1, 2004

By D. J. van Niekerk

Caring for the Earth: South Africa-A strategy sustainable living, by John Yeld. Southern Foundation in partnership with the World Union. Soft cover. Tel.: (02231) 72801.

Jan 1, 1993

By W. Spencer

An examination is made of quality standards in castings produced by the South African foundry industry, and some examples are given of the consequences of poor quality to the user. Corrective measures are suggested.

Jan 1, 1981

The 97th Annual General Meeting of the The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was held in the Gold Room, Transvaal Automobile Club, 60 5th Street, Lower Houghton, Johannesburg on Wednesday, 10th August, 1994. Obituaries The President announced the passing during the year of the following members:

Jan 1, 1994

By D. Visser, P. D. Toens

The development of a continuous recording scintillation counter mounted on a cyclometer by P. D. Toens (Fellow) and D. Visser (Visitor) In order to facilitate ground radiometric surveys the Atomic Energy Board has developed a continuous recording device attached to a scintillation counter which is mounted on a cyclometer. Details concerning the construction are given.

By Steven L. Crouch

The 'doorstopper' technique for determining the state of stress in rock requires that the stress concentration factors at the flat end of a borehole be known. Published values of these factors are widely variant. An axisymmetric finite element analysis of this problem has been made, yielding elastic stress concentration factors for different values of Poisson's ratio.

By R. F. Botha

I want to thank you for inviting me to deliver this, the closing address at the final plenary session of the 15th Congress of the Council of Mining and Metalurgical Institutions. Your Council has an impressive title, and justly so. Consider the expertise, the skill, the capacity, the achievement, that is gathered together here in this room this afternoon.

Jan 1, 1994

The Annual General Meeting of the Johannesburg Branch of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was held at the Johannesburg Country Club on Tuesday, 21st July, 1992. Big turnout at Lunchtime Lecture The re-introduction of Lunchtime Lectures by the Johannesburg Branch of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy met with resounding success when more than 100 delegates packed the Standard Bank auditorium in Simmonds Street to hear Dr Zach de Beer, leader of the Democratic Party, give his views on the state of the nation.

Jan 1, 1992

By J. G. Goodey, G. J. van der Linde

This paper describes pilot-plant tests on the recovery of apatite from a hitherto untapped material. This materialhydro- separator overflow-is very fine (80 per cent smaller than 45 µm and 32 per cent smaller than 10 µm). . The pilot-plant tests proved that the recovery of apatite from this material is economically and technically viable. This was confirmed by plant trials, which, in the early stages, produced concentrate assaying 36,6 per cent P2O5 at a recovery of 65,5 per cent.

Jan 1, 1983