Question 1 What requirements must the employer put in place to ensure an adequate supply of

health and safety equipment?

6. Employer to ensure adequate supply of health and safety equipment.

(1) Every employer must

(a)
supply all necessary health and safety equipment and health and safety facilities to
each employee; and

(b)
maintain, as far as reasonably practicable, that equipment and those facilities in a
serviceable and hygienic condition.

[Sub-s. (1) substituted by s. 6 (a) of Act No. 72 of 1997.]

(2) Every employer must ensure that sufficient quantities of all necessary personal
protective equipment are available so that every employee who is required to use that equipment
is able to do so.
(3) Every employer must take reasonable steps to ensure that all employees who are
required to use personal protective equipment are instructed in the proper use, the limitations and
the appropriate maintenance of that equipment.
[Sub-s. (3) substituted by s. 6 (b) of Act No. 72 of 1997.]

Question 2 What steps must the employer take to assess and respond to risk? (name at least ten
points)

11. Employer to assess and respond to risk.(1) Every employer must

(a)
identify the hazards to health or safety to which employees may be exposed while
they are at work;

(b)
assess the risks to health or safety to which employees may be exposed while they
are at work;

(c)
record the significant hazards identified and risks assessed; and

(d)
make those records available for inspection by employees.

(2) Every employer, after consulting the health and safety committee at the mine, must
determine all measures, including changing the organisation of work and the design of safe
systems of work, necessary to

(a)
eliminate any recorded risk;

(b)
control the risk at source;

(c)
minimise the risk; and

(d)
in so far as the risk remains

(i)
 provide for personal protective equipment; and

(ii)
institute a programme to monitor the risk to which employees may be exposed.

(3) Every employer must, as far as reasonably practicable, implement the measures
determined necessary in terms of subsection (2) in the order in which the measures are listed in
the paragraphs of that subsection.
(4) Every employer must

(a)
periodically review the hazards identified and risks assessed, including the results of
occupational hygiene measurements and medical surveillance, to determine
whether further elimination, control and minimisation of risk is possible; and

(b)
consult with the health and safety committee on the review.

(5) Every employer must

Question 3 Define:

a. Biological Monitoring

biological monitoring means a planned programme of periodic collection and analysis

of body fluid, tissues, excreta or exhaled air in order to detect and quantify the exposure
to or absorption of any substance or organism;

b. Manager

Manager means any competent person appointed in terms of section 3 (1) (a)

c. Health and safety standard

health and safety standard means any standard, irrespective of whether or not it has
the force of law, which, if applied for the purposes of this Act, will in the opinion of the
Minister promote the attainment of an object of this Act;

Question 4 What is the procedure for the election of health and safety representatives?

(in answering this question, I took cognisance of the whole electoral activity which originates from
section 26, therefore some might argue that not everything is part of the procedure per say)

The owner of a mine required to enter into negotiations in terms of sections 26 (1) and
33 (1), must commence negotiations within one month of the obligation to do so arising. 1
(Ive included this portion as it addressed elections and appointments as part of the
collective agreement)
(2) The manager of a mine required to enter into consultations in terms of section 26 (6) or
(7) and 33 (6) or (7), must commence consultations within one month of the obligations to do so
arising.
(3) If no collective agreement is concluded on the number of full-time health and safety
representatives within three months of negotiations commencing in terms of regulation 6.1 (1),
any party to a dispute in terms of section 26 (8) (a) may refer the dispute to the Commission.
 (4) If no agreement is concluded on the number of full-time health and safety
representatives within three months of consultations commencing in terms of regulation 6.1 (2),
any party to a dispute in terms of section 26 (8) (b) may refer the dispute to the Commission.

If a collective agreement dealing with the election of health and safety representatives, full-time
health and safety representatives or employee representatives on health and safety committees is
concluded in terms of Chapter 3 of this Act, the regulations in this Chapter dealing with such election
do not apply

(Ive also considered schedule one on the number of Health and safety representatives required)

Establishment of election committee.(1) The manager must establish an election

committee.
(2) The election committee

(a)
must include an appropriate number of employee representatives; and

(b)
may include a number of management representatives.

(3) If the election committee includes management representatives, their number must be
equal to or less than the number of employee representatives.
(4) The employee representatives on the election committee must be appointed

(a)
by the representative trade union at the mine;

(b)
if there is no representative trade union at the mine, by the registered trade unions
with members at the mine; or

(c)
if there is no registered trade union with members at the mine, by the employees at
the mine.

The election committee must

(a)
determine fair and reasonable procedures for the nomination and election of health
and safety representatives;

(b)
ensure that elections are conducted in terms of such procedures;

(c)
appoint an election officer and one or more counting officers for each election; and

(d)
after consulting the manager, determine the date, time and place of each election.

The manager must

(a)
as far as practicable, ensure that every employee is made familiar with the
nomination and election procedures;
 (b)
give reasonable and understandable notice to the employees of the date, time and
place of each election;

(c)
provide the facilities and assistance reasonably necessary for the election
committee to perform its functions;

(d)
provide the facilities reasonably necessary for

(i)
the election of health and safety representatives; and

(ii)
the appointment of employee representatives on any health and safety
committee; and

(e)
provide reasonable time off from work, without the loss of remuneration, for
employees to participate in the elections of health and safety representatives.

(2) The Chief Inspector may issue guidelines regarding the facilities and assistance to be
provided in terms of regulation 6.5 (1).

Nomination of health and safety representatives.(1) Every candidate for election as a

health and safety representative for a shift and designated working place must be nominated for
election by an employee who works on the same shift at the designated working place.3
(2) Every candidate for election as a full-time health and safety representative for a mine
must be nominated for election by an employee

Procedures for the election of health and safety representatives.(1) (a) If only one
candidate is nominated for election as a health and safety representative for a shift at a
designated working place, the election officer must declare the candidate elected.

(b) If two or more candidates are nominated for election as a health and safety
representative for a shift at a designated working place, the election officer must hold an election.
(2) Every election for a health and safety representative

(a)
must be under the control of the election officer; and

(b)
is only valid if 50% or more of the employees who work on the same shift at the
designated working place concerned vote in the election.

(3) (a) If less than 50% of the employees who work on the same shift at the designated
working place concerned vote in an election, the election officer must, after consulting the
manager, determine a date, time and place for a subsequent election.

(b) Regulation 6.7 (2) (b) does not apply to such subsequent election.
(4) Every employee on a shift at a designated working place has one vote in the election of
every health and safety representative for that shift and designated working place.
(5) The counting officers must, under the supervision of the election officer, count all valid
votes.
(6) The election officer must announce the results of the count to the employees
concerned.
 (7) If an election for an alternate health and safety representative is held, it must be
conducted in the same manner as an election for a health and safety representative.

The manager must

(a)
within 7 days of election, appoint in writing every employee elected as a health and
safety representative;

(b)
provide every health and safety representative with suitable means of identification
as a health and safety representative; and

(c) prominently and conspicuously display the photograph and name of the health and
safety representative at an appropriate place at the mine.

Question 5 Name ten (10) dangerous occurrences with regard to winding plants which must be
reported.

Running out of control of winding-engine, winding drum or conveyance;

fracture or failure of any essential part of the winding-engine, fracture or failure

of any safety device used in connection with the winding equipment;

fracture, failure or serious distortion of winding rope, fracture, failure or serious

distortion of any connection between the winding rope and the drum or
between the winding rope and the conveyance and any other load suspended
from or attached to such rope; fracture, failure or failure or serious distortion of
any connection between conveyances or between a conveyance and any
suspended or attached load, fracture of guide rope or its connections, fracture
of balance or tail rope or its connections;

[Sub-para. (iii) corrected by GNR.787 of 2002, English text only.]

fracture or failure of winding or balance sheave; fracture or failure of any

essential part of the headgear or other sheave support;

jamming or accidental overturning of conveyance; conveyance or its load

fouling shaft equipment; jamming of crosshead;

derailing of conveyance;

conveyance, bridle, frame or crosshead accidentally leaving guides;

fracture or failure of the braking system or of any critical parts thereof;

failure to activate when required of any safety catches and/or arresting devices
or activation of any safety catches and/or arresting devices when not required;
 failure to activate when required of any overwinding prevention device or
activation of such device when not required;

any overwind or over-run of the conveyance to an extent which may have

endangered persons or may have caused damage to the winding equipment;

failure of depth indicator.

Question 6 The mine requires the appointment of a certificated engineer. What are the
requirements when work may continue without the certificated engineer?

At a mine or works where an engineer is appointed or should be appointed in terms of regulations

2.13.1 and 2.13.3.1, work may be continued without such engineer for not more than 60 days in any
period of six consecutive months: Provided a competent person is appointed in writing by the
manager to be in general charge of machinery during such period or part thereof.

The appointment of a competent person appointed in terms of regulation 2.13.6.1 may not
result in an engineers being responsible either

(a)
directly to such person; or

(b)
through such person to any other person.

A competent person appointed in terms of regulation 2.13.6.1 shall have all the duties and
responsibilities of an engineer appointed under these regulations.

The appointment of such competent person shall not relieve the engineer who preceded him of any
personal responsibility under these regulations for the period during which he was in charge.

Question 7 When is it required to install ladder-ways?

Except as is permitted in terms of regulation 6.5.2.1 a proper ladderway shall be provided

when the inclination from the horizontal exceeds 20 degrees

(a)
Installation of ladders in shaft or outlet to surfacein a shaft or outlet to surface if,
according to the provisions of regulation 6.3.1, such shaft or outlet is allowed to
afford the only means of egress to the surface for persons employed in
underground workings,

(b)
Installation of ladders in connection to a shaft or outletin a connection, or part
thereof, from any part of the underground workings to a shaft or outlet to surface if
such connection, or part thereof, affords the only means of egress to a shaft or
outlet to surface for persons employed in any working place, and

(c)
Installation of ladders in sinking shaftsin a shaft or winze in the course of sinking.
In this case the ladderway shall be provided to within such distance from the
 bottom of the said shaft or winze as is the minimum necessary to secure the
ladderway from damage during blasting. From the lower end of such ladderway to
the bottom of the shaft or winze there shall be provided

(i)
chains, chain ladders or wire rope ladders where the inclination is more than 35
degrees and less than 70 degrees;

(ii)
chain ladders or wire rope ladders where the inclination is 70 degrees or more

Question 8 Explain the inspections that have to be done by mining personnel on elevators at the
mine.

An engineer or competent person appointed in terms of regulation 2.13.2 shall examine carefully, at
least once in each month, the elevator and all its fittings and appliances. At this examination, the
ropes supporting the elevator car and counterpoise, and the balance ropes or chains, if fitted, shall
be thoroughly cleaned at selected places for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of deterioration
thereof.

If as a result of examination, any weakness or defect is found whereby the safety of any person is or
may be endangered, the defect shall be reported in writing without delay to the manager or an
engineer or competent person appointed in terms of regulation 2.13.2 and no person shall be
conveyed until the defect has been rectified.

Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent any person from using the elevator

(a)
while it is being operated from the motor room, or

(b)
while examination, servicing or any work is being done in the hatchway.

When a landing door or gate is required to be open while an elevator is being examined,
serviced or repaired or while any other work is being done in the hatchway, an effective barrier
shall be provided and used to prevent inadvertent access to the hatchway.

The manager, engineer or person appointed in terms of regulation 2.13.2, shall assign any
competent person to examine at least once in each week the hatchway, guides, ropes and rope
attachments, the engine or motor, the drums and sheaves and all safety appliances.

Question 9 - What are the requirements for any accessible metallic portion of an electric plant or
apparatus which does not normally form part of the electric circuit?

Any accessible metallic portion of electric plant or apparatus which, though not normally forming
part of an electrical circuit, may accidentally become live shall either be protected by insulating
material or shall be connected to earth by a conductor of adequate cross-sectional area so as to
prevent danger to persons.
What provisions shall apply to any electrical installation used in a hazardous area?

(I believe this portion is open to discussion as to how far they may have expected us to answer)

Except where written exemption has been granted by the Principal Inspector of Mines, all electrical
apparatus used in a hazardous area shall be explosion protected and certified as such in a test report
by an inspection authority approved by the Chief Inspector: Provided that the Principal Inspector of
Mines may require codes of practice for the use of such apparatus.

Any type and design of explosion protected apparatus shall at all times be identified in a test report
referred to in regulation 21.17.2, and an identification number shall be allocated to such apparatus
by the inspection authority.

Explosion protected apparatus shall not be used unless the manager is in possession of a copy of the
test report and the identification number referred to in regulation 21.17.2 is marked clearly and
indelibly on the apparatus or on a metal plate (other than light metal) permanently fixed to the
apparatus.

Prior to the use of any explosion-protected equipment a copy of the test report shall be forwarded
by the manager to the Principal Inspector of Mines, who may enforce restrictions and conditions for
the use of the apparatus as deemed necessary in the interests of safety.

If any repair or modification which may affect its explosive-protected apparatus

characteristics is carried out on explosion-protected apparatus by an organisation not licensed by
the approved inspection authority, the apparatus shall not be put into service in a hazardous area
unless a new test report has been issued by the inspection authority.

The manager shall take all reasonable precautionary measures to ensure that all persons operating,
running and maintaining explosion-protected apparatus are properly instructed in the conditions and
requirements contained in the appropriate specifications in accordance with which the apparatus
was tested.

Question 10 The mine uses a boiler in the plant. State the requirements for safety valves on the
boiler.

Safety valves:

Boiler:

Every boiler shall be provided with at least reliable two pressure gauges. The safety valves shall be
loaded so that each will open at or below the authorised gauge pressure and the aggregate area of
the safety valves shall sufficient so as to prevent the pressure rising in excess of 10% above the
authorised working gauge pressure should one safety valve fail to operate.

Every safety valve shall be attached as close as possible to the vapour space or gas space of the boiler
without any intervening stop valve.

At least safety valve shall be locked and only accessible to one person in control. The locked valve or
valves shall have an area not less that and shall open at a pressure not greater than that of any valve
not locked.
One locked safety valve shall be sufficient for any:

Oil, gas or electric boiler, or boiler with a capacity of 100 litres or less, or and economiser or super-
heater which can be shut off from the boiler.

No undue weight shall be places on a safety valve of any boiler nor shall the load in any safety valve
be increased in such way as will prevent the safety from operating at the authorised working gauge
pressure. Every safety valve and its components and connection to the boiler shall be constructed of
a class of steel approved by the Chief inspector of mines, provided that cast iron shall not be
approved for any boiler with a pressure in excess of 1000 kPa.