ASPASA adds that the industry should use the lag between the opening of surface mines and the delivery of products wisely, by preparing smart stockpiles, internal roadway systems and traffic separation measures.
While surface mines have been allowed to operate at 50% of capacity since relatively early in the South African Covid-19 lockdown period and 100% after 1 May, markets for the products including commodities, construction products and others, will remain closed until further restrictions are lifted.
"It is foreseeable that a mine operating at 100% capacity will need to stockpile products until markets reopen," said ASPASA director Nico Pienaar. "We are therefore advising mine managers to do their research upfront and carefully plan for reopening, while also bearing in mind safety and speed of movement."
"At this point, it will also pay to take heed of upcoming legislation that will require the separation of traffic, including mine vehicles, road vehicles and pedestrians to avoid collisions. In this way, smaller-scale surface mines can reduce the risk of collisions and thereby avoid the requirement for potentially costly Proximity Detection Systems (PDS)."
Pienaar added that, at the same time, decongestion of stockyards and collection areas will result in smoother traffic flows and speed up the transport of products from the mines to meet the massive expected demand that will follow.
He said that road maintenance on the mines should be a top priority during this lag period as it is key to speeding up production and significantly contributes to the lifespan of equipment used on the mines.
