Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996)

Regulations

Guideline for a Mandatory Code of Practice

Occupational Health Programme (Occupational Hygiene and Medical Surveillance) on Personal Exposure to Airborne Pollutants

Part A : The Guideline

1. Foreword
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1.1. The Commission of inquiry into Safety and Health in the mining industry, chaired by the Honourable Mr. Justice R N Leon, identified occupational health as one of the four major issues affecting occupational health and safety in the mining industry.

 

1.2. To address this issue, a tripartite sub-committee was established under the auspices of the Mining Occupational Health Advisory Committee (MOHAC). MOHAC found it necessary to address this issue a guideline for a mandatory code of practice (COP) for airborne pollutants be drafted.

 

1.3. Significant risks to health exist in mining. To protect, monitor and promote employee & health status, an occupational health program is required where exposure to such significant risks occur. MOHAC considered it appropriate to prepare a guideline covering both occupational hygiene and medical surveillance to ensure compliance and uniform standards.

 

1.4. Where the employer's risk assessment indicates a need to establish and maintain either a system of occupational hygiene measurements or a system of medical surveillance, or where either such system is required by regulation, the employer must prepare and implement a COP based on this guideline.

 

1.5. This guideline assists employers with the establishment of an occupational health programme, but does not stipulate specific requirements for specific circumstances. It sets out a basic system for managing risks to health. The first component of any management system is finding out what the situation is and the second is deciding what to do about it.

 

1.6. This guideline replaces the "Guideline for the compilation of a mandatory COP for an occupational health programme on personal exposure to airborne pollutants with reference number DME 1613/2/4-Al" published by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) in 2002.