2.4.1. Legislation

Legislation is in the process of review with Draft Coal Mine Regulation 2006 incorporating the requirement for risk assessment and safety management. A technical circular requires risk assessment to be conducted. The various steps in preparing the safety management plans are:

Step 1

The mine manager shall:

• Identify the hazards to health and safety of the persons employed at the mine to which they may be exposed while at work

• Assess the risk to health and safety to which the employees are exposed

• Record the significant hazards identified and risks assessed

• Make the records available for the inspection of employees

• Follow an appropriate process for identification of the hazards and assessment of the risks.

Step 2

The mine manager shall consult with the safety committee of the mine and the organisations internal safety organisation and take necessary steps to:

• Elimination the risk

• Substitute with less risk procedure

• Necessitate engineering controls

And if still there is residual risk, then implement

• administrative (procedural) controls

• provide personal protective equipment (PPE)

Step 3

Based on the identification of the hazards and risks, the manager shall prepare an auditable document called the Safety Management Plan (SMP) which essentially consists of organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining a safety and health policy of a company.

Step 4

The mine manager shall submit a copy of the SMP to the Inspectorate and abide by the modifications suggested.

Step 5

The mine manager shall be responsible to implement the measures determined in the SMP and periodically review the same for further elimination, control or minimisation of the risk.

This regulation and interim circular requires the mine management to identify hazards to health and safety, assess the risks and eliminate, control or minimise the risk.

An auditable Safety Management Plan detailing:

• defined mine safety and health policy of the company

• a plan to implement the policy

• how the mine or mines intend to develop capabilities to achieve the policy

• principal hazard management plans

• standard operating procedures

• ways to measure, monitor and evaluate performance of the safety management plan, correct matters that do not conform with the safety management plan

• a plan to regularly review and continually improve the safety management plan

• a plan to review the safety management plan if significant changes occur

• details of involvement of mine workers in their development and application.

This plan must be submitted to the Regional Mines Inspector.