Occupational Health & Safety: Draft General Machinery Regulations

Posted 22 August 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Labour

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Employment & Labour has issued draft regulations intended to repeal and replace the General Machinery Regulations of 1988.

In terms of the Occupational Health & Safety Act, No. 85 of 1993, the Minister of Employment and Labour has published draft General Machinery Regulations for public comment. These proposed regulations are intended to replace the existing suite of regulations that have been in force since August 1988. The draft aims to modernize the safety standards and administrative requirements for the operation and supervision of machinery in the workplace.

Interested parties have until 20 November 2025 to submit written representations or comments regarding the proposed changes. The draft regulations maintain the core safety objectives of the 1988 version but update the technical and supervisory framework to align with contemporary industrial practices.

Scope of the Proposed Regulations

The draft regulations address several critical areas of workplace safety, including:

  • The supervision of machinery and the formal appointment of competent persons to oversee operations;
  • The safeguarding of machinery, specifically regarding moving parts and dangerous areas;
  • General safety precautions for the operation of machinery and the use of safety equipment; and
  • Administrative requirements for reporting incidents and maintaining machinery safety records.

Click here to download the draft General Machinery Regulations.

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

  • For yourself: Review the updated definition of a ‘competent person’ in the draft to ensure your professional qualifications and experience continue to meet the requirements for machinery supervision.
  • For your business: Conduct a preliminary audit of current machinery maintenance schedules and safety officer appointments against the draft standards to identify potential compliance gaps before the 2025 implementation.
  • For your clients: Advise manufacturing and industrial clients to prepare formal submissions on the technical feasibility of the proposed safeguards to ensure the final regulations do not impose unworkable operational constraints.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/occupational-health-safety-general-machinery-regulations-to-be-replaced

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Acts Online. Acts Online accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the article, nor does the information contained herein constitute advice, legal or otherwise.