Print

The winder can be used to bring employees to surface in the event that normal processes do not work.

This world-first winder is able to reach a depth of 3 km underground, compared with other rescue winders that could previously only go down to a depth of 1.6 km. This is important for South Africa, which has some of the deepest gold mines in the world.

Gold Fields executive VP Martin Preece states that MRS volunteers are the unsung heroes of the mining industry. “They are highly skilled and trained mining employees from all over the country who carry out rescue operations when it is required.”

The winder was developed by MRS, in collaboration with Minerals Council South Africa members, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and labour.

The testing involved lowering and raising the conveyance at a speed of 1.5 m a second, with a simulated load of six people, to a maximum depth of 3 km.