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

Regulations

Guideline for a Mandatory Code of Practice

Safe Use of Conveyor Belt Installations for the Transportation of Mineral, Material or Personnel

Part C: Format and Content of the Code of Practice

7. Risk management

 

7.1 Section 11 of the MHSA requires the employer to identify hazards, assess the health and safety risks to which employees may be exposed while they are at work, record the significant hazards identified and risk assessed. The COP must address how the significant risks identified in the risk assessment process must be dealt with, having regard to the requirements of Sections 11(2) and (3) that, as far as reasonably practicable, attempts should first be made to eliminate the risk, thereafter to control the risk at source, thereafter to minimise the risk and thereafter, insofar as the risk remains, to provide personal protective equipment and to institute a program to monitor the risk.

 

7.2 A proper hazard identification and risk assessment must be conducted on the complete conveyor belt installation. The information must be kept readily available at the mine. To assist the employer with the hazard identification and risk assessment all possible relevant information such as incident statistics, ergonomic studies, research reports, manufacturers specifications, international standards, design criteria and performance figures for the conveyor belt installation should be obtained and considered.

 

7.3 In addition to the periodic review required by section 11(4) of the MHSA, the COP should be reviewed and updated after every serious incident/accident involving the conveyor belt installation, or if significant changes are introduced to procedures, mining and ventilation layouts, mining methods, plant or equipment and material.