By 
Though the mining sector has recorded record low cases of fatalities in 2025, falls-of ground remain concerningly high and the Minerals Council South Africa says it will be revisiting its safety interventions to eliminate these incidents.
Losing one life is just one too many, however, the drop in fatalities is a welcomed achievement in the industry. The mining sector has recorded a decrease in fatalities in two financial years. In 2025, the industry closed the year with 41 fatalities compared to 42 in the previous year.
Japie Fullard, the Chairperson of the Minerals Council CEO Zero Harm Forum says though the Council notes the drop in fatalities, they sympathise with the families and friends of the 41 mine workers who lost their lives.
“As mining CEOs, we believe that Zero Harm is possible. If you consider the significant reduction in fatalities, injuries and illnesses in the sector over the past three decades you will understand why we hold this belief. In the coal industry, there were eight months up to end August 2025 without a fatality,” said Fullard.
According to Fullard, the number of fatalities in 2025 is marginally down compared to 2024, but when considering the 12% reduction in serious injuries to 1,693 from 1,925 in the same period, the Minerals Council is encouraged that safety interventions and programmes are working and delivering the outcomes the sector expects to see as it strives for Zero Harm.
He said the mining industry has reduced fatalities in three decades by 91% to 41 in 2025 from 484 in 1994. Serious injuries have fallen by 80% to 1,693 from 8,347 in that period, with specific sector focus on leading causes of fatalities like falls of ground as well as transportation and mining contributing to the reduction. Increased attention at CEO level to lead safety and health initiatives and the sector’s adoption of leading practices have contributed to the significant step changes safety.
During his address at the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2026, Japie Fullard said there was a worrying 25% regression in fatalities related to falls of ground, which increased to 15 deaths in 2025 from 12 the year before. The Minerals Council has its CEO approved Fall-of-Ground Action Plan, which has contributed to the record low number of 6 fatalities from falls of ground in 2022. The plan works, but the Minerals Council will work with its members to understand why there has been a setback.
According to Fullard, the number of FOG fatalities fell by 78% to an average of 24 a year in the 2016-2020 five year period from an average of 111 a year in 2001-2005.
The key interventions were the implementation of entry examinations and actively making working areas safe daily since 2009. In 2012, netting and bolting of tunnel roofs and walls were introduced and the use of steel nets has become a common feature in South Africa’s deep-level mines.
The Minerals Council’s most important partnership is with the Mines Inspectorate in the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and organised labour as we strive to achieve Zero Harm at South Africa’s mines. This is the partnership most highly valued by the Minerals Council because of the significant interventions the sector has made in fatalities, injuries, and occupational diseases to return all employees home in safely after every shift.
At the Minerals Council, member CEOs meet on the first working day of each month to share their learnings about safety incidents, the root causes and the actions they have implemented to ensure these incidents are not repeated again.
“It’s only through sharing like this that we grow our knowledge base and not repeat the mistakes that have hurt or killed our colleagues. It is a very powerful platform and I’m encouraged by the seriousness with which these sessions are treated and the level of engagement we have. I have no doubt this a major contributor towards the advances we are making in health and safety in our sector,” says Mr Fullard.
In the past 15 years, TB and silicosis cases have reduced by more than 80%, with the incidence of TB cases falling to 220 per 100,000 employees, which is half the national average for South Africa. Cases of noise-induced hearing loss in mining have reduced by 55% in the past 15 years and is now coming under particular focus in the Minerals Council.
The total number of occupational diseases reported by the mines decreased by 7.6% from 1,864 in 2023 to 1,723 in 2024, according to data from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. The mining sector employs about 470,000 people to put that number into context.
Fullard said during 2026, the Minerals Council’s focus will be on sustaining and strengthening the downward trajectory in health and safety incidents through deeper embedding of critical control management, broader adoption of leading practices, enhanced learning and knowledge sharing, stronger visible-felt leadership, and continued industry collaboration through both the Minerals Council structures and the tripartite Mine Health and Safety Council.
