UPDATE 2-S.Africa platinum sector hit by safety stoppages

* Mines minister has said industry inspections to rise

* Platinum production down sharply in October (Recasts background, details)

By Ed Stoddard

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Northam Platinum , one of South Africa's smaller platinum producers, said on Monday its only producing mine has been hit by several stoppages due to government safety inspections, part of a wider campaign that has hit the sector.

Analysts have speculated that a sharp fall in overall platinum production in South Africa in October was the result of increased stoppages related to surprise inspections as part of a government drive to boost safety.

"Northam's Zondereinde mine has, for a number of months, been the subject of unannounced inspections from the DMR's safety inspectorate," Marion Brower, a spokesperson for Northam, said.

"These have frequently resulted in DMR-enforced safety stoppages in certain sections of the mine," she said in an e-mailed response to questions from Reuters.

Mines minister Susan Shabangu said in November her Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) would be increasing health and safety audits of mines in the face of a "culture of non-compliance".

Northam did not say how many ounces it had lost in output from the stoppages.