Women in mining

C.J. Badenhorst, T. Hofmann, and MAC La Grange

BACKGROUND

• Mining was a male dominated industry and hostile to women’s participation in work

• Women were rarely employed in mining as it was considered to be a highly male dominated activity and women were considered unfit for the hard labour of working in the mines.

• South Africa - until the new Constitution and the Mine Health and Safety Act, employment of females underground was prohibited through an ILO convention

• Most of the jobs of women on mines related to either administrative or to menial lower rank activities like sweepers, cleaners or attendants in the mining offices.

• Mining equipment and PPE available are unsuitable for women posing significant risk of workplace injuries to women.

BARRIERS TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN MINING

• Physical work capacity

• Reproductive health

• Infrastructure (culture barriers,

workplace environment, etc.)

• Design of mining equipment

(machinery, ergonomics, PPE, etc.)

PHYSICAL WORK CAPACITY

Gender differences in physiological composition

The following has been documented in literature:

• Women may, in many cases, be superior to men, especially in jobs

requiring accuracy, patience and alertness and perseverance (The

Physiology of Work, K Rodahl, 1989, Taylor & Francis).

• With regards to physical strength, women are weaker than men, usually

attaining between 60 and 90 percent of the men’s muscle strength and

work output (Ergonomics How to design for ease and efficiency 2nd

Edition, K Kroemer, H Kroemer, K Kroemer-Elbert, Prentice Hall, 2001).

• With regards to fitness levels, the maximal aerobic power, i.e. the

maximal oxygen uptake as an expression of an individual’s physical

work capacity, is, for females, on average 65-75 % of that of men. In the

case of heavy or very heavy manual work, women exposed to the same

physical work load as men may have to exert themselves some 25-30 %

more than men (The Physiology of Work, K Rodahl, 1989, Taylor &

Francis).

Lifting capabilities

• From ground level: 84% that of males

• From waist level: 79% that of males

• Above-the-shoulder: 57% that of males

VO2 max: vs.

• Maximum aerobic capacity: 15-30% below

• Fatigue: for the same physical task closer to

aerobic capacity than ; more likely to become

fatigued

• With regards to size, men are generally taller than women. Although

more flexible than men, differences in muscle mass, body composition

and size, can place women at risk of injury.

• Based on statistics (SIMRAC Health 817), approximately 4% of the

females tested failed the Heat Tolerance Screening (HTS). The

corresponding figure for male mineworkers ranges between 0,5% and

4%. The difference between general heat tolerance of males and

females are not as significant as generally believed.

- Heat intolerance: 35%; 5%

Rehabilitation and Functional Assessment

• Rehabilitation and Functional Assessment (RFA) Test Battery

developed over the past 11 years

• (Joint Venture between Anglo American Platinum and AngloGold

Ashanti)

• Forms part of medical surveillance as an objective assessment of

the physical and functional work capacity in relation to inherent

job requirements

• Minimum standards for fitness to perform manual work in a safe

manner

• Test standards originally derived from:

- Internationally accepted scientific principles

- Field studies

- Testing healthy, in-service employees

(SA mining industry)

RFA Assessment

• All jobs are

specifically

assessed for risk for

women and suitable

jobs identified

• By doing individual

physical

assessments

it is ensured for

starters that there

are no health

or physical

constraints

present when

employing the

person, minimizing

risk when pregnant

Occupations with physical demands

Very heavy Heavy RoamingLightModerate

Criteria Criteria Criteria Criteria Criteria

PWC/FWC requirements

PWC/FWC requirements

PWC/FWC requirements

PWC/FWC requirements

PWC/FWC requirements

Light

FEMALE WORK CAPACITY vs. MALE WORK CAPACITY

- profiles as determined by work capacity assessment

43%

18% 15%20%

4%8% 7%

10%

39%36%

0

25

50

75

100

Sedentary Light Moderate Heavy Very Heavy

New Recruits in the SA Mining Industry RFA Test Outcomes

Females (n = 19 572)

Males (n= 64 000)

Graph 1: New recruits’ work capacity profiles according to intensity of work

Graph 2: In-service employees’ work capacity profiles according to intensity of work

29%

19% 20%

26%

6%6% 7% 10%

34%

44%

0

25

50

75

100

Sedentary Light Moderate Heavy Very Heavy

In-Service Employees in the SA Mining Industry RFA Test Outcomes

Females (n = 5 692)

Males (n = 172 658)

Women are very different from men physically and

biologically, and pertinently in one specific aspect - namely that

they can fall pregnant and thus become two people that must be

considered, the mother and the baby with very specific risk

factorsDilemma

Most women can continue working during pregnancy. How long

depends on the nature of the job and personal risk for medical or

obstetric problems.

OH – concerns are around biological and physiological issues arising

out of pregnancy and interacting with workplace hazards and risks

Primarily focused on PROTECTING the individual and NOT

discrimination

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Health must be protected

• Physical (Lifting heavy loads, vibration, heat, noise, radiation);

• Ergonomic (Physically strenuous work, prolonged sitting or standing

or physical & mental strain);

• Chemical (Gasses - Carbon monoxide, liquids, solids such as lead &

mercury, organic solvents, tobacco, alcohol, herbicides, pesticides);

• Biological ( Hepatitis, HIV, TB, Toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, rubella,

chickenpox etc) hazards

What are the physical implications?

What are the physical implications?

Safety –injury must be prevented

• Heat tolerance

– health risk but also safety risk

• Impaired work capacity and errors of judgment

– Unfit or unable to perform specific job exposes individual and

pregnancy to harm

• Physical ability

– Lifting of heavy goods

– Morning sickness: employees unable to perform early shift work.

Exposure to nauseating smells may aggravate morning sickness.

– More frequent visits to the toilet: require reasonable access to

facilities and consideration for “unattended” tasks

– Employee’s increasing size and discomfort

– Employee’s balance

– Tiredness

• Ablution facilities and change houses

• Work-life balance (Long working hours)

• Childcare facilities

• Personal safety and security

- Sexual harassment

- Individual security searches

- Female’s safety in the cages & underground

- Security at change houses

- Illness, injuries and emergency medical treatment

INFRASTRUCTURE

DESIGN OF MINING MACHINERY

• No specific mining equipment requirements are set

for female workers

• Make use of mining equipment as is, of which the

design is generally male based (and even those \

designs are in most cases based on populations

other than the local population)

• May pose a range of ergonomic risks

• Requirements and specifications for

mining equipment adjustable for female

employees must be set by industry to

manufacturers and suppliers of mining

equipment

• No specific PPE requirements are set for female workers

• Make use of general available PPE, of which the design is

generally male based

• In general most other related PPE issues has

to do with the size of items (normally too big)

• Although seemingly insignificant, incorrect

sized PPE pose a risk on itself.

• Requirements and specifications must be

set to manufacturers and suppliers for

appropriate female (smaller) sizes

Personal Protective Equipment

• Females’ physiological composition differs from that of their male

counterparts.

• In many instances (e.g. when required to perform manual material

handling) these differences impact on females’ capacity to perform

manual type of work.

• Machinery and equipment as used in the mining industry, has mainly

been designed to suit a male population.

• Due to differences in body size and dimensions, females are often

placed at a disadvantage from an ergonomic perspective when

required to operate machinery and to use equipment.

The trend towards decreased physical activity and a more sedentary

type of lifestyle, especially amongst younger females, and the

impact thereof on work capacity must also not be underestimated

CONCLUSION

WAY FORWARD

Factors impacting on work capacity must be taken into account during

the recruitment and placement of women

• Create awareness within the community with regards to the

importance of physical activity and a healthy diet.

• Recruitment processes must be revised considering the effect of

factors such as inactive lifestyle, poor nutrition, body size, body mass

etc. Taking cognisance of these factors, the most suitable candidates

should be recruited.

• Training programs must be considered, possibly with the inclusion of

physical exercise in conjunction with an introduction to mining, in

order to provide prospective mine workers with knowledge and insight

in terms of what a career in mining entails.

• The system of medical surveillance must be fair; females must not

necessarily be excluded from certain occupations requiring more

physical strength; yet, processes must be in place to determine

individuals’ level of work capacity, and to place accordingly. In case

of a risk being identified in terms of a prospective candidate having

limited work capacity for the proposed occupation, such individuals

must not be placed at risk in terms of exposure to the specific

occupation.

• Employment of woman in their productive years requires specific

action to ensure that there is no significant risk of exposure that may

effect reproduction, health and safety before and during pregnancy,

the unborn child as well as mother and child during breast feeding.

• Planning aimed at redesign of mining tools, equipment and

environments (and PPE) to accommodate females in the

workplace, must also be included in terms of future strategies.

There are no barriers to the employment of women in mining provided –

• Inherent H&S requirements of the jobs are met;

• Risks attached to pregnancy are identified through specific risk assessment;

• Reasonable accommodation for pregnancy is done, taking note of pregnancy complications; and

• Socio-economic impact challenges are addressed