AST Marknet links hygiene to medicine

One of the most common mining controls used to control dust, emissions and exposures in the workplace is Hygiene/Ventilation. In order to ensure its effectiveness and to assess its impact on the other components in the environment, hygiene/ventilation must be seen as part of a larger picture.

According to AST Marknet, a business unit of the AST Group, an effective ventilation system can only be put in place by linking hygiene/ventilation to an integrated SHERQ (safety, health, environment, risk and quality) solution. Linking hygiene records to medicine records is a requirement of the Mine Occupational Health and Safety Act, and AST Marknet has a solution that facilitates this link.

AST Marknet has developed its Safety, Health, Environment, Risk and Quality (SHERQ) software, called Palladium, to be suitable for various market sectors. The software consists of various modules, fully integrated and customisable to suit the requirements of any client in any business sector. One of the modules in Palladium is Hygiene, which contains ventilation components.

Organisations that do not have effective SHERQ management systems are costing South African industry millions each year. To help counteract this situation, AST Marknet provides companies with the appropriate services and software to identify risks, evaluate their impact and put the necessary mechanisms in place to prevent loss, as far as is reasonably or humanly possible. Its SHERQ management solution complies with statutory requirements and is in line with international best practices.

"Our experience has shown that once a comprehensive, integrated risk management system is adopted, incorporating hygiene, medicine, safety and environment principles, business becomes more productive and profitable in the long-term," says Leon Jordaan, MD of AST Marknet.