Surface mining industry association, Aspasa, is calling on its members and other industry players to get involved with its process of formulating its own quality management system.

The association already has a health and safety, and environmental management systems and the creation of a bespoke quality management system designed with local requirements and legislation in mind, is the next logical step.

Strict new requirements

Aspasa director, Nico Pienaar, says strict new requirements are being placed on the supply of materials for building (sand, aggregates, dimension stones), foodstuffs (salt), energy (coal, ash) and other minerals which requires modern quarries and surface mines to implement advanced process control and quality management systems to ensure that they comply.

“The development of a comprehensive quality management system based on international standards is therefore imperative and urgent. As a result, we have established a qualified task team to delve further into these different requirements and identify key areas to be covered generally and separately as per each segment of our industry,” he explains.

Play an active role

“We cannot however cover every angle on our own and therefore encourage our members and their clients to play an active role in the formulation of our quality controls and systems. Members should also step forward and provide input on their quality challenges so that our panel of experts may devise systems to assist them to comply with requirements,” Pienaar adds.

He continues that the aim is to introduce the new system from the beginning of next year; where after annual audits will be conducted to ensure compliance with required processes and procedures. Once compliance has been ascertained the member will receive certification of compliance with the association’s strict requirements.