About us

MOSH  was established in June 2003 by the then Chamber of Mines, in collaboration with its social partners, government and organised labour following the adoption of the 2003 Industry Occupational Health and Safety Milestone. The primary objective of MOSH is to accelerate the mining sector’s progress toward achieving zero harm by promoting the adoption of high-impact leading practices that address critical health and safety challenges.

MOSH focuses on four key areas that significantly affect the well-being of mine workers:

1. Falls of Ground (FoG) – aimed at reducing injuries and fatalities caused by rockfalls and ground instability.
2. Transport and Machinery (T&M) – targeting the reduction of accidents and fatalities related to mobile equipment and machinery.
3. Dust – with a focus on eliminating silicosis, a debilitating lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust.
4. Noise – addressing the prevention of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) through improved noise control measures.

Through these focus areas, MOSH plays a pivotal role in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and proactive risk management across the mining industry.

Brief History

• 2003 - 2008

  In June 2003, the then Chamber of Mines (currently Minerals Council South Africa) and its social partners, government and labour, established Mining Industry Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) to focus on the adoption of leading practices to address health and safety concerns and accelerate the progress towards achieving zero harm. The practices to be addressed were falls of ground, transport and machinery (pertinent to the reduction of mine fatalities), and dust and noise (applicable to the elimination of silicosis and noise induced hearing loss (NIHL)). The occupational health and safety milestones identified were set to be attained over a 10-year period. This was followed, in 2005, and reinforced in 2008, by the mining companies' commitment to achieving the 2013 milestones, and their continuous progress towards achieving the target of zero harm.

  In 2006, the MOSH Task Force was established to identify both obstacles and supports to reducing fatalities, occupational injuries and diseases. It was further tasked with identifying and finding sustainable solutions for the attainment of the 2013 milestones.

  It soon transpired that there were pockets of industry leading practices that had directly contributed to superior health and safety performance on some mines, and that, if these practices were applied widely across the industry, they would contribute significantly to the achievement of the milestones. Consequently, in December 2007 the then Chamber of Mines piloted the MOSH Leading Practice Adoption System to facilitate the identification and widespread adoption of the most-promising of these leading practices.

  To identify, support and guide the implementation of leading practices, MOSH structures include the Adoption Teams, a MOSH Task Force, a Learning Hub and communities of practice.

• 2011 - 2014

  In 2011, the then Chamber of Mines commissioned the Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry (CSMI) to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of MOSH which allowed for any adjustments to ensure achievement of the 2013 milestones.

  In November 2014, MHSC principal tripartite stakeholders launched a Centre of Excellence to conduct world-class research, build research capacity and facilitate the implementation of research outcomes.

• 2015 – To date

  Since its inception, the MOSH initiative has identified, documented and facilitated wide-spread adoption of over 20 leading practice within the SAMI (link to leading practice).

• Goal 1

  Polularising the MCSA (Learning Hubs) Value Proposition on H&S

  Articulating the Minerals Council (Learning Hub) contribution as a catalyst for change in Mine Health and Safety.

• Goal 2

  Driving a Paradigm Shift in Health & Safety

  Define the new way of mining to achieve & sustain health & safety excellence

• Goal 3

  Enabling the Learning Hub

  Dynamic improvement of the department to effectively and efficiently lead the industry’s Zero Harm journey.

• Goal 4

  Collaboration and Engagement

  Improved relations across a wide range of mining stakeholders in achieving the vision of Zero Harm.

• Goal 5

  Facilitating the Embedding of Adoption Principles and Leading Practice in every mine

  Continuous introduction of technology and change initiatives in a sustainable manner

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  Dust

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  falls of ground

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  Noise

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  Transport & machinery