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

Guideline for a Mandatory Code of Practice

Quality Assurance Programme for a System of Occupational Hygiene and Ventilation Engineering Measurements

Part A: The Guideline

1. Foreword

 

1.1. The MHSA requires the employer to protect the health and safety of employees at mines. It further requires the employer, in terms of Regulation 9.2(2) read with Section 11(4)(a) and Section 12 of the MHSA, and in terms of its risk assessment, to establish and maintain a system of occupational hygiene measurements.

 

1.2. The overall goal of a well-designed and well-implemented occupational hygiene measurement system (i.e. sampling and analysis) is to measure accurately the health hazards to which an individual might be exposed to in his or her workplace. Workplace environmental control management decisions are made on the assumption that analytical results are, within known limits of accuracy and precision, representative of workplace conditions.

 

1.3. Many sources of error exist that could affect the analytical results. Factors to consider as sources of error include improper sample collection, handling, preservation, transport, inadequate personnel training, poor analytical methods, data reporting and record keeping.

 

1.4. The CIOM has for years provided mandatory guidelines to assist employers on several aspects to develop programmes for managing occupational exposures to health hazards. It has always remained a challenge to ensure that with every programme there is appropriate quality assurance in place for the integrity of sampling strategies and processes put in place at mines.

 

1.5. Where the risk assessment of the employer indicates a need to establish and maintain either a system of occupational hygiene and ventilation engineering measurements, or where such a system is required by regulation, the employer must prepare and implement a quality assurance programme COP based on this guideline.

 

1.6. This guideline aims to assist employers with the establishment of an appropriate quality assurance programme on the occupational hygiene and ventilation engineering measurements but does not stipulate detailed requirements for specific circumstances, as the individual requirements of any employer will be guided by the risk assessment outcomes.