Sasol Synthetic Fuels Plant

One of the two Sasol Synfuels plants as seen from Secunda

After spending 45min at the Sasol-SA border post we all received our Visitors cards.  Dries Burger took us through the functional testing facility that is used for work preparedness assessment and rehabilitation.  Mainly run by Occupational Therapists this unit is extremely well stocked with implements and stations that closely mimic real life situations that employees might find themselves in.  The facility is used to estimate an employees readiness to work in a certain situation as well as assist with rehabilitation after work related injuries. It was an en eye opener to see the fantastic scope and possibilities of excellent rehabilitation an well resourced unit can offer. 

Dr Dries Burger describing the fitness for miners functional test as the field trip team watches

Functional Testing Facility at Sasol

Employees should be able to crawl under a low beam

This station is designed to test weight lifting in confined space

Sikhumbuzo testing his fear of heights

Neil Cameron lifting his own body weight in the testing facility

Occupational therapists form a core function of the Sasol health services 

From here we went to another intriguing facility called the ‘Mock Mine’.  The place resembles a carnival ghost house.  Its dark without any windows.  The mock mine is used to train potential miners on their job and to retrain miners on the heath and safety standards and procedures in the real mining procedures.  After we spent yesterday underground in the real mine it was fascinating to see how close the mock mine looked like the real thing.  Employees get certificates if they can pass all the necessary safety requirements and thereafter is allowed to work in the mine.  An innovative way to improve health and safety and therefore also the health of many people.

Real as it may seem, this is not a mine...

Dries Burger explaining the 'Mock Mine'.

Robin inspecting the roof bean structure possibilities

At the ‘pink palace’ se met with Mrs Coetzee who gave us some of the Sasol background and history before she explained the different steps of the ‘plant’ to us.  We all got into a minibus and got a guided tour of the whole with Lukas Molibuye.   We appreciated once again the massive scale of the industrial facility from the coal blending facility, turning coal into coal gas, liquid, oil, fuel and many other commonly used products from plastic to ingredients for aspirin.  The pipes used, if all put in a single line, can stretch 3 times around the world…  Every step has its environmental and occupational hazards and as public health and occupational health registrars it allowed us to conceptualize the risks and possible ways to prevent harm to humans and the environment.  Afterwards we went for a discussion with Dries Burger about his experience working at Sasol in the last 22 years.  It stretched from interesting stories about human behaviour and convincing to health risks, explosions and retirement plans. 

Synthetic fuels plant from the gate

Gina and Ziyaad returning from the Synfuels plant

Fidele and Neil

Thankful to have experienced Sasol and satisfied about all we learnt about mining and occupational health the road back to Egoli felt shorter than expected.  I'm sure may of us had some glimpse of the underground in our dreams that night...

Flied trip team with the Sasol health team

For those who are still interested to know more about the incredible scale of the project, please read on...

SASOL FACT SHEET (not 100% up to date)

·      12 Active shafts

·      1 Export plant loading each train with approximately 120 wagons at 50 tonnes/wagon in less than 2 hours.

·      A stockpile covering 4 sq km with 2 milj tonnes of coal available.

·      462km of conveyer belt on the complex. (281km underground and 181km  on surface.)

·      Syferfontein to Stockpile is the longest curved conveyer belt in Africa (?world)

·      Our operation covers 2150 sq km in area

·      25 Bed Registered Private Hospital

·      2 Hostels with 1296 rooms + 144 family units.

·      4km of coal is mined every day.

·      The only mock mine in the world

·      3300 km Roofbolts are installed annually.

·      Electrical bill of R  8 milj/month (one mine uses more electricity than Secunda )

·      Daily coal output to surface is 115 000 tonnes. (1 rugby field 23m deep per day)

·      40 milj tonnes per year (1 rugbyfield 8km deep) Mount Everest is 8,848km high and Mount Kilimandjaro 5,895km high.

·      Approximately 5600 people go underground every day.

·      321 licensed vehicles and trailers are used daily

·      184,06km underground roadways are maintained.

·      5000 Telephone extensions with 180 trunk lines

·      230km of fibre optic for communication

·      3000 two way Radios in use every day.

·      Telkom account R450 000/month.

·      1700 Computers on site

·      1 828 592km of core drilling has been completed describing 490 893 different litologic units.

·      16000 Vehicles enter the secondary area daily

·      750 external visitors at the plant daily

·      1916 road traffic signs in the complex

·      1300 alcohol screens daily.