KZN explosion protests disrupt manganese poisoning hearings

As the death-toll of Sunday’s Assmang plant explosion in Durban rose to five earlier today (Mon), proceeding on an inquiry into the November 2006 manganese poisoning case of the same plant had to be put on hold to allow protesting workers to express themselves on their health, safety and experiences.

The five-day hearings at Durban’s Cato Ridge Country Club were underway when a group of workers marched in, protesting against the perceived general lack of safety at Assmang, and Sunday’s blast in particular.

The Labour Department inquiry which first took place last year is looking at determining possible causes of manganism as well as the exposure of workers to poisonous fumes at the Assmang plant.

Preliminary findings of Sunday’s explosion – on the eve of resuming hearings on the poisoning case – have indicated that a water leakage into the furnace may have led to the explosion.   The impact of the explosion resulted in the wall of the control room facing the furnace to collapse allowing the flames to engulf the entire room. The department has since set up a high-scale investigation into the latest accident, and ordered a halt to operations on parts of the plant.

Once an inquiry has been completed, Labour inspectors will submit their report to the director of public prosecutions for a decision on whether to institute criminal charges.

Meanwhile the angry protesters, who had arrived at the hearings marching from the Assmang plant, accused the company of neglecting important occupational health and safety procedures.

The manganese poisoning hearings were then rescheduled for the afternoon after the protesters had dispersed peacefully.