Facing a raft of shifting expectations and operating conditions, mining today is having to balance its traditionally risk-averse culture with an openness to experimentation - and at times even learning from failure. Mining's core focus on safety means that every change in the way mines work has to be carefully assessed in terms of the uncertainty and unintended consequences it may bring to an established protocol or task. This is as it should be, as safety will always be a paramount concern, according to Andrew van Zyl, managing director of SRK Consulting South Africa.
"Our preoccupation with safety, though, should not be confused with an unwillingness to find innovative solutions," said Van Zyl. "The sector has in fact made significant cultural and technological strides that embrace positive opportunities to evolve how we mine, and how we engage with broader society."
Driven by learning
This could be further enhanced by a philosophy that explicitly values constant learning, and which builds the lessons learnt into every step of the journey, he argued. Such a process is especially critical when developing strategies to meet new standards and frameworks - such as the recently launched Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI), which is likely to be a talking point at this year's Investing in African Mining lndaba.
"As a unified standard that is likely to become a transformative framework in mining ESG, the CMSI will hopefully simplify compliance," he said. "This will be particularly beneficial for smaller players in the mining sector, who could feel overwhelmed by the range of standards being applied to the sector."
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