| bank | the datum level or elevation from which the shaft is sunk; |
| bill of quantities | a schedule of items or activities against which quantities are stated. Monetary reimbursement rates are then applied to the quantities completed to determine the revenue |
| box cut | a large excavation through soft earth excavated down to solid rock to found the collar on; |
| bunton | a cross member or steel section required for structural purposes for when a shaft is equipped with a conveyance (skip or cage) to guide it quickly and safely through the shaft; |
| cactus grab | loading equipment, either 20 or 30 cubic foot, pneumatically operated to remove the waste from the shaft bottom into the kibble; |
| cage | a conveyance designed for the shaft to transport employees and materials; |
| cementation | the process of injecting cemetitious grout down a hole to seal off water or gas; |
| collar | a reinforced concrete structure designed to provide a solid footing for the sinking and excavation of the shaft; |
| cover hole | a hole drilled 42 metres in length in a spiral fan pattern to detect the presence of water or gas; |
| dam | a temporary sinking water storage facility created in the rock for the pumping of water to surface which is generally re-cycled; |
| drill boom | the arm of the jumbo to which the drill machine is attached; |
| ECIC | Export Credit Insurance Corporation; |
| EPCM | Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Management; |
| EXCO | Executive Committee of the Group; |
| haulage | an access tunnel excavated at certain levels to access the ore body; |
| headgear | a steel or concrete structure constructed to facilitate the transfer of men, material and rock from underground as well as the housing of the equipment and safety devices used for sinking and production; |
| jumbo | hydraulic mechanical drilling equipment; |
| kibble | a large steel bucket used for conveying men materials and waste while in sinking mode; |
| learnership | a full time training program for an employee that is recognised by the MQA; |
| loader | a mechanical loading device with a bucket for picking up rock; |
| Master Sinker | an experienced operator in the sinking of vertical shafts; |
| MBL | Master of Business Leadership; |
| ore pass | a small diameter shaft or hole between levels for transporting ore; |
| PGM | platinum group metals; |
| pre-sink | the sinking of a shaft to a depth suitable to install the stage and sinking equipment and to commence the main sink (generally between 60 to 90 metres); |
| resin grout | a mixture of chemicals or resins used to seal off any water while sinking or supporting a shaft; |
| qualification | Fully Certificated Engineer in terms of South African Mines & Health Act; |
| settler | a vertical dam created underground for re-circulating the water generated
through operations for production in a shaft; |
| skip | a specially constructed vessel for the transportation of ore or rock from
underground to surface for processing; |
| stage | a 5 or 6 level working platform which is suspended in the shaft during sinking operations to ensure concurrent work can be undertaken; |
| winder | a mechanical and electrical piece of equipment to which the rope or cable is attached; used to lower and raise the conveyances and kibbles during production and sinking. |