The contribution of personal and professional leadership qualities in minimising workplace related accidents

M.Phil.There has been considerable debate amongst specialists as how to minimise accidents in dangerous working environments. Irrespective of many contributions from a variety of studies, inputs and attempts, safety in dangerous working environments still remain a problem of great concern. This is equally true in especially the mining sector in South Africa. To this extent this study was conducted in an underground hard rock mine in the North West Province. Leadership may play an important role in the behaviour of employees in the work place, and may therefore have a direct impact in minimising workplace related accidents and incidents. Analysis indicated that it would be beneficial to focus on the real reasons for accidents in the mining industry i.e. the human factor. It was calculated that the human factor could be blamed for 87% of injuries in the South African mining industry, with 11% where a direct link exists with the physical working environment. This study is not an attempt to provide an answer that will solve all mining related incidents and accidents. It is an attempt to use Personal and Professional Leadership (PPL) as framework in order to establish if PPL may be a contributing factor in solving accidents and fatalities. Einstein once said, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them". Suffice to say that our present problems are a product and consequence of our past and present paradigms