On Friday, 19 December 2014, Mr David Msiza, the Chief Inspector of Mines published notices in the Government Gazette issuing guidelines for the implementation of two additional mandatory codes of practice, namely the Mandatory Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Conveyor Belt Installations Used For The Transportation of Mineral, Material or Personnel (Conveyor Guidelines) and the Mandatory Code of Practice for Risk Based Fatigue Management at Mines (Fatigue Management Guideline).

Section 9(2) of the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) mandates an employer to ensure that a code of practice is prepared and implemented if the Chief Inspector of Mines requires it. Failure to comply with section 9(2) of the MHSA, as well as any published guidelines exposes the employer to possible liability in terms of section 91 of the MHSA.

The Conveyor Guideline together with Regulation 8 of the Mine Health and Safety Act Regulations sets out the minimum safety requirements which must be adhered to by the employer if conveyor belts are installed on a mine. Click here to view a summary of the Conveyor Guideline.

The Fatigue Management Guideline requires employers to properly risk assess and manage fatigue resulting in enhanced safety, performance and productivity in the workplace. Click here to view a summary of the Fatigue Management Guideline.

Written by Ganeefah Dawood and Mbali Dlamini, supervised by Kate Collier – Webber Wentzel