By late August 2020, some 328 000 employees of the estimated 456 000-strong workforce that is the bedrock of South Africa’s economy were back at work after a stringent COVID-19 lockdown.
“In 2018, mining contributed more than R350-billion to South Africa’s gross domestic product,” says GermCure operations manager Francois Viljoen. “It was a difficult situation for government and all stakeholders in the industry. Nobody wanted the huge impact on the economy, and nobody wanted to create a situation lives were threatened.”
He notes that the unions and other organisations had expressed concern for miners’ safety; in particular deep-level mining where conditions are cramped and miners are transported below ground in small lifts that do not facilitate physical distancing.
“This is where GermCure’s long-time partner in the disinfectant and sanitising sector, Beyond Green, is able to help mines reduce the potential impact of a COVID-19 spread using the natural surface disinfectants San-A-Safe and San-a-Med.
“A recent evaluation of the products by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) showed an effectiveness of 99,99% against SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic – in the infectivity assay conducted. This means both of the San-A-Safe and San-a-Med have been declared effective against this virus.”
Colin Sham, director of Beyond Green, explains that the virus used in this evaluation was generated in 293-T cells by co-transfection of a construct carrying the SARS-CoV-2 envelope and a plasmid encoding the luciferase reporter gene.
“This was followed by the determination of the virus tissue culture infectious dose 50 (TCID50) in the absence and presence of the disinfectant.”
Putting people first
Using products that are natural, alcohol-free and contain no harsh chemicals means no down-time for ventilation during and after disinfecting even the smallest areas, says Sham. “A lift in a mine, for example, can be completely sanitised between taking the first crew members underground and picking up the next.
“Even if miners can smell the scent of the disinfectant or get it on their skin, there will be none of the effects on breathing or skin that are often associated with harsh, alcohol-based chemical products.”
