Silver and Gold fall for third day

Wednesday marked the start of a sharp fall in silver prices, as it fell by 5% and brought gold down along with it

Silver is now showing a loss of 20%, a striking comparison to the record high of last Thursday's $50 an ounce. As expected, Gold has also marked it's worst three-day fall since Januaray, regardless of a broad dollar drop and an increase of gold reserves in Mexico.

Despite a sharp pullback, silver is still one of the top-performing commodities of the year with a 30 percent gain.

However, investors remain cautious of a market in an extremely volatile state.

WEF houses the Godfather's associates?

Activists have labelled the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a platform for gangsters wanting to advance their own personal agenda.

I must admit, when reading this I wondered at the psychological standing of these activists. While revolting against any organisation is well within our rights, who (in a fit state of mind) would label the WEF as gangsters?

Cape Town is currently holding the three-day economic forum, which takes place at the Cape Town International Civic Centre. According to the Workers International Vanguard League's spokesperson, Shaheed Mahomed, the South African government shouldn't allow the forum to take place and the delegates aren't interested in Africa's advancement at all.

“Why do we say the WEF is a bunch of gangsters? While you look at the major strategic partners its Wal-Mart who is renowned around the world of bashing unions creating a non-union environment for greater exploitation of workers,” he said.

“These are people who are here to plunder and in fact one of their sinister campaigns is to say there is too much voting, too little voice. In other words they are saying they want to restructure democracy," he said.

“They say democracy is not suitable for Africa in other words, they are paving the way for the dictatorship of the 50s and 60s to come back to Africa," said Mahomed.

I can't say that, after hearing his comments, I find logic in his accusation. I'm sure that there are those delegates that attend the forum for their own means alone, but I await the arrival of the Godfather before I label them gangsters.

If you have any thoughts, let us know on our WEF forum.

Products MMPR January/February 2011

Introduction to safety practice in South African mines

• Winches
• Track bound rolling stock (locomotives, hoppers and flat cars)
• Pumps
• Axial ventilation fans
• Surface trucks and material handling equipment (mobile cranes)
• Overhead cranes
• Drilling equipment (rigs and drilling machines)
• Movable platforms
• Rocker shovel loaders and development equipment
• Continuous miners
• Shuttle cars
• Feeder breakers
• Rock handling systems (scrapers, boxes, tips, chutes, screens and feeders)
• Winding equipment
• Chairlifts
• Mono-ropes
• Endless rope haulages
• Lifts and elevators
• Crushers and mills
• Screens, agitators, tanks and cyclones
• Conveyor belts
• Large rotating machines such as compressors, fans and turbines
• Trackless mining equipment (load haul dumpers, trucks, drill rigs, utility vehicles, etc)

• Surface trucks and material handling equipment such as mobile cranes
• Pumps
• Conveyor belts
• Trackless mining equipment (LHDs, trucks, drill rigs, etc)
• Drilling equipment (rigs and drilling machines)
• Movable platforms
• Rock handling systems (scrapers, boxes, tips, chutes, screens and feeders)
• Draglines
• Shovels
• Crushers and mills
• Screens, agitators, tanks and cyclones
• Large rotating machines such as compressors, fans and turbines

• The equipment designer must ensure that the machine is properly designed for its intended use. The purpose of the machine and instructions for its safe use must be communicated to the users of the machine.
• The users must ensure that the machine is used only as the designer intended.
• Users must be aware that, if they modify a machine in any way or use it in any way other than its original intended application, the onus for ensuring that the modified is still safe transfers from the original designer to them. The modifications must be risk-assessed, and it is often helpful to involve the original designers in this process. Machinery such as winders, compressors, refrigeration plants, large fans and pumps, crushers and mills are normally located in secure, fenced areas, so that people who are not properly trained in their safe use and maintenance are protected.

• The following general precautions will minimize the hazards posed by machinery in mines:
• Do not approach any machinery unless you are familiar with the dangers posed by the machinery. Before you approach, think about what might happen. What could go wrong? What could you do to protect yourself and others around you if it did?
• Do not use any item of machinery unless you are trained to do so and have reviewed the risk assessment pertaining to the use of the machine.
• Only use the proper tools specified for use on machinery.
• Do not assume that any machine is safe to use unless you have personally performed pre-use checks.
• Never work on any machinery while it is in motion.
• Never attempt to perform adjustments on moving machinery.
• Always apply "lockout" principles when cleaning, checking or working on machinery. This means that the person who actually works on the machine must take specific steps to ensure that no one else may either advertently or inadvertently start or cause a movement of the machine without his or her express knowledge. Be particularly mindful of isolating all possible causes of injury including electricity, pressure (air, hydraulic oil or water) and movement (sliding or falling objects), not just the ones affecting your job!
• Never work on machinery unless it has been ‘locked-out. There is a variety of ways achieving this and each machine is different, requiring specialist training.
• Observe how a machine moves. Identify areas or ‘pinch points’ where a hand, for example, may be trapped between two parts of a machine as they move relative to each other.
• Always be alert to the possibility of falling objects.
• Never get under any machine unless it is securely supported on the ground and choked (supported by an adequate block or wedge) to prevent movement. A jack is not good enough.
• Never work behind a mobile machine parked on a slope unless it is checked.
• Always stand in a safe place relative to machine, whether stationary or mobile. Do not assume that a driver/operator can see you and assume that any unattended machinery may start automatically.
• Always ensure that you are clearly visible to people either working on or operating machinery. Check by speaking to them.
• Always read signage around machine installations and operating areas and take them seriously.
• When in proximity of mobile equipment, always assume that the operator cannot see you and stand in a position where the machine cannot reach you and does not travel as part of its normal operation.
• Be aware of and avoid the path of movement of any machine as well as the pinch points of machines. If at all in doubt, stay away from the machine.
• Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment when in proximity to machines. Machines that cause sparks or chips require the use of glasses and gloves in addition to full body clothing. Hot machines may require the use of thermal protective clothing. Rotating parts would indicate the use of tighter-fitting garments and the avoidance of loose equipment.
• Be aware of certain items of machinery that may contain stored energy in specific components such as springs (mechanical energy), accumulators and pipes (pressure energy), blow-off valves and valves and radioactive sources such as weightometers. The last is distinguishable by the radiation warning sign and must not be tampered with or opened under any circumstances. Items located above the ground have potential energy. Do not release any spring, rope or chain unless the release can be achieved in a controlled manner.
• Never loosen the bolts on a coupling, remove a hose fitting or uncouple a hose unless you    are sure the pipe is empty and that the supply cannot be switched back oh by someone else. Remember that many accidents occur simply because someone had assumed, incorrectly, that someone else had done something. Check for yourself, and check again if you have left the work site.
• Do not work or pass below any suspended object unless it is properly supported from   below and only release such an object if it can be done in a controlled manner with proper tools and equipment.
• Never stand in the path of a moving vehicle or in the direction in which it may travel.
• Anticipate the runaway path of a vehicle and stand away from it.
• Remember that an operator will seldom see below or above his normal line of sight.
• Prevent inadvertent movement by chocking of a vehicle. Do not rely on the gears or the brakes alone. On inclines, stationary vehicles should be parked against the sidewall in a turned position (wheels turned towards the sidewall) so that they are not able to run away if the brakes or chocks fail.