Mine Health & Safety: New Guidelines for Fire and Change Management Codes of Practice

Posted 20 June 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Minerals & Energy

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Mineral Resources & Energy has gazetted guidelines for the compilation of mandatory codes of practice regarding fire prevention and change management.

In terms of section 9(2) of the Mine Health and Safety Act, No. 29 of 1996, the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy has published guidelines for the compilation of mandatory codes of practice (COP). These guidelines provide the framework within which an employer must prepare and implement a COP at a mine.

The guidelines address two specific regulatory areas intended to enhance safety standards and operational consistency:

  • The prevention, detection, and suppression of fires in mines; and
  • The management of change in mining operations.

Under the Mine Health and Safety Act, No. 29 of 1996, compliance with these guidelines is mandatory. Any COP prepared by an employer must follow the structure and requirements set out in the gazetted documents to ensure legal validity and regulatory alignment.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual obligations; impact channelled through firm-level compliance and advisory roles.
  • For your business: Update internal compliance checklists to ensure that any legal or safety audits performed for mining clients reflect the latest mandatory compilation requirements for fire and change management COPs.
  • For your clients: Mining employers must immediately review their existing fire prevention and change management codes of practice to ensure they conform to the newly gazetted guidelines, as non-compliant COPs may lead to enforcement action under the Act.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/mine-health-safety-fire-change-management-code-compilation-guidelines-published

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