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

Guideline for a Mandatory Code of Practice

Occupational Health Programme on Thermal Stress

Part A. The Guideline

4. Definitions and Acronyms

 

4.1 Abnormally hot environment means any environment where DB ≥ 37.0°C, GT  ≥ 37.0°C and/or WB ≥ 32.5°C, and WBGT index ≥ 34.

 

4.2 Abnormally cold environment means any environment where WCET ≤ -30.0°C.

 

4.3 ACGIH means American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.

 

4.4 BEi means Biological Exposure Index.

 

4.5 BMI means body mass index.

 

4.6 CIOM means Chief Inspector of Mines.

 

4.7 Cold environment means any environment where WCET ≤ 5.0°C but > -30.0°C.

 

4.8 COP means Code of Practice.

 

4.9 CSIR means Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

 

4.10 CSM means cold stress management.

 

4.11 DMRE means the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

 

4.12 DB means dry-bulb temperature.

 

4.13 4DI means discomfort index.

 

4.14 ECT means equivalent chill temperature.

 

4.15 EHSI means Emergency Heat Stress Index.

 

4.16 GT means globe temperature (radiant heat).

 

4.17 Hot environment means any environment where DB ≥ 32.5°C - < 37.0°C, GT ≥ 32.5°C - < 37.0°C and WB range of ≥ 27.5°C - < 32.5°C and/or the time weighted average WBGT index, determined over a period of one hour, ≥ 30 - < 34 in the environment in which an employee works.

 

4.18 HSM means heat stress management.

 

4.19 HTS means heat tolerance screening.

 

4.20 HTT means heat tolerance test.

 

4.21 MHSA means the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act 29 of 1996) as amended.

 

4.22 MHSC means Mine Health and Safety Council.

 

4.23 MOHAC means Mining Occupational Health Advisory Committee.

 

4.24 OEL means occupational exposure limit.

 

4.25 OEL for thermal stress means WB (°C) 32.5°C, DB (°C) 37°C, mean radiant temperature (°C) 37°C, and WCET (°C) 4°C.

 

4.26 OMP means Occupational Medical Practitioner.

 

4.27 Percentile means the value  of  a variable  below which  a  certain  percent  of observations falls.

 

4.28 PPE means personal protective equipment.

 

4.29 Radiant heat means the electromagnetic transfer of heat energy without direct contact.

 

4.30 SIMRAC means Safety in Mines Research Advisory Committee.

 

4.31 Thermal environment means occupational exposure to hot and cold environments.

 

4.32 TLV means Threshold limit value.

 

4.33 WB means wet-bulb temperature.

 

4.34 WBGT means wet-bulb globe temperature.

 

4.35 WBGT index means a standard that offers a useful, first-order index of the environmental contribution to heat stress influenced by air temperature, radiant heat and humidity.

 

4.36 WCET means wind chill equivalent temperature.