Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996)RegulationsMine Health and Safety RegulationsChapter 8 : Machinery and Equipment |
| 8.1 | Air Compressors |
| (1) | The employer must ensure, in the case of air compressors with a free delivery in excess of 0.15 cubic metres per second and where compression takes place in the presence of lubricating oil, that the compressor is fitted with automatic means of limiting the operating temperature and pressure of the compressor to a safe level. |
[Regulation 8.1 inserted by Notice No. R. 1579 dated 13 December 2002]
| 8.2 | Underground Railbound Transport |
The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that:
| (1) | the braking system of every locomotive or train is capable of stopping the locomotive or train within a safe distance under all operating conditions; |
| (2) | the braking system of every locomotive has passed a dynamic type test under full load conditions, before being used for the first time and after any brake design modifications; |
| (3) | the braking system of every locomotive has passed a static test before the locomotive is put into use at the commencement of each shift, after repairs and after adjustments; |
| (4) | a system is in place to alert persons to the presence and direction of travel of any locomotive or train; |
| (5) | a system is in place to assist the driver or operator of a locomotive or train to travel at a safe speed; |
| (6) | any rolling stock used for the transportation of persons is approved, by a competent person and is operated and maintained safely; |
| (7) | a system is in place that is capable of preventing any locomotive or train from inadvertently being set in motion. |
[Regulation 8.2 inserted by Notice No. R. 583 dated 14 May 2004]
| 8.3 | No person may board or alight from a locomotive or train while it is in motion. |
[Regulation 8.3 inserted by Notice No. R. 583 dated 14 May 2004]
| 8.4 | Scraper Winch and Mono-Rope Installation |
| (1) | The employer, at every mine where scraper-winches or mono-rope winches are operated, must take reasonable measures to prevent persons from being injured as a result of— |
| (a) | any person coming into contact with any moving part of a scraper winch or mono-rope winch installation or any equipment attached thereto; and |
| (b) | the scraper winch or mono-rope winch installation being unsafe. |
| (2) | The measures to be taken by the employer in terms of regulation 8.4(1) must include measures to ensure that— |
| (a) | scraper-winches and mono-rope winches are only operated by competent persons authorized by the employer to do so; |
| (b) | the scraper winch or mono-rope winch is not operated until it is examined and declared safe to operate by a person authorised to do so by the employer; |
| (c) | means are provided to forewarn persons of the intention to commence operating any scraper-winch or mono-rope winch; |
| (d) | means are provided for persons to signal to the operator, from any access point to the installation, to shut down the operation of the scraper-winch or mono-rope winch installation; |
| (e) | scraper winch and mono-rope winch ropes, scraper attachments and rope splicing are regularly inspected; |
| (f) | the scraper winch ropes are always underlay; |
| (g) | a written procedure is prepared and implemented for the installation of the winch system, covering at least— |
| (i) | the requirements of scraper and mono-winch foundations and installations; |
| (ii) | the crossover and anti-fouling arrangements of ropes from two or more winches; |
| (iii) | illumination of the moving parts of any winch so that they can be identified by persons; |
| (iv) | appropriate sheave and return pulley anchor and rigging arrangements, including the use of safety slings; |
| (v) | measures to- ensure that winch ropes are used within the design capacity; |
| (vi) | winch starter box location to ensure ease of operation by the operator; and |
| (vii) | the moving and transport of winches from one location to another. |
[Regulation 8.4 inserted by Notice No. R. 1225 dated 15 December 2005]
| 8.5 | Lifting Equipment Regulations |
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.5, unless the context otherwise indicates—
"Lifting equipment," means any equipment or machine or arrangement of equipment or machines intended or used for the lifting, lowering, suspension, or moving in suspension of any person or load.
"Lifting tackle," means any attachment, including anchoring points, used to secure lifting equipment or a load to lifting equipment.
| (1) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that no person is injured due to the failure of any lifting equipment or lifting tackle as a result of— |
| (a) | incorrect design for the intended application; |
| (b) | incorrect installation; or |
| (c) | insufficient maintenance. |
| (2) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that the installation, use (including the transport of persons), maintenance, inspection, testing and keeping of records of lifting equipment and lifting tackle are done in accordance, with a written operating procedure prepared and implemented for that purpose. |
| (3) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that— |
| (a) | only lifting equipment and lifting tackle with a minimum factor of safety of four (4) is used; |
| (b) | lifting equipment and lifting tackle are not used beyond their design capacity; and |
| (c) | the safe working load of any lifting equipment and lifting tackle is conspicuously and clearly marked or indicated thereon. |
| (4) | Notwithstanding regulation 8.5(2), the employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the following lifting tackle has a minimum factor of safety of— |
| (a) | ten ( 10 ) for natural fiber ropes; |
| (b) | six (6) for steel wire ropes, man-made fiber ropes and textile webbing; and |
| (c) | four (4) for high tensile steel chains. |
| (5) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that only persons authorised in writing by the employer to do so, operate lifting equipment and lifting tackle. |
| (6) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the lifting equipment used at the mine is designed and manufactured in accordance with an appropriate standard. |
[Regulation 8.5(6) substituted by Notice No. R. 90 dated 1 February 2008]
(7) Repeal
The following regulations promulgated under the Minerals Act, 1991(Act No. 50 of 1991) in force in terms of item 4 of Schedule 4 of the Act are hereby repealed—
Chapter 6 |
Chapter 16 |
Chapter 19 |
6.1.1 |
16.98 |
19.1 |
6.1.2 |
16.98.1 |
19.2.1 |
6.1.3 |
16.98.2 |
19.2.2 |
6.2.1 |
16.98.3 |
19.3.1 |
6.2.2 |
16.98.4 |
19.3.2 |
6.2.3 |
16.98.5 |
19.3.3 |
6.2.4 |
16.99 |
19.3.4 |
6.2.5 |
16.100 |
19.4 |
6.3.1 |
16.101 |
19.5 |
6.3.2. |
16.102 |
19.6 |
6.3.2.1 |
16.103 |
|
6.3.2.6 |
16.103.1 |
|
6.3.2.7 |
16.103.2 |
|
6.3.2.8 |
16.104 |
|
6.3.2.12 |
|
|
6.3.3.1 |
|
|
6.3.3.2 |
|
|
6.3.3.3 |
|
|
6.3.3.4 |
|
|
6.3.3.5 |
|
|
6.3.3.6 |
|
|
6.9 |
|
|
6.11 |
|
|
[Regulation 8.5(7) substituted by Notice No. R. 90 dated 1 February 2008]
8.6 Fans
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.6, unless the context otherwise indicates—
"booster fan" means a fan installed underground in the main air stream or in a split of the main air stream to assist the main fan to increase airflow and/or overcome resistance through a section of a mine.
"main fan" means a fan that controls the entire air flow of a mine, or the airflow of one or more of the major air circuits.
| (1) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that combustible materials, explosives or natural vegetation are not located so near to fan installations and its switch-gear used for underground ventilation, that if such combustible materials, explosives or natural vegetation catch fire, there is a significant risk to the supply of clean air to any underground working place as a result of— |
| (a) | the fan installation or its switch-gear being damaged; or |
| (b) | smoke or fumes being drawn into any working place. |
| (2) | The employer must ensure, where a significant risk of an explosion of flammable gas or coal dust exists, that measures are in place to ensure that there is always a supply of clean air to all underground working places. Such measures must include: |
| (a) | installing the main fan on surface; |
| (b) | providing an effective means of protecting the main fan against damage caused by explosion; |
| (c) | ensuring the main fan is readily accessible to effect emergency repairs; and |
| (d) | having a back up system in place to provide clean air should the main fan become inoperative. |
| (3) | The employer must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that every main fan is provided with: |
| (a) | an automatic means of alerting a responsible person should it stop or cease to operate; |
| (b) | an effective means of giving early warning of defective operation; |
| (c) | a power supply from two different sources or networks, which can include an emergency supply alternator / generator, for power supply in the event of an interruption to the normal power supply; and |
| (d) | an effective means for safe entrance to and exit (escape) from the main fan housing. |
| (4) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that a competent person examines every main and booster fan for effective operation, internally and externally, together with all appurtenant components that are necessary for the operation of the fan, at intervals not exceeding three months, or any other lesser interval determined by the mine's hazard identification and risk assessment in terms of section 11. |
| (5) | The employer must keep records of all examinations conducted in terms of regulation 8.6(4), including remedial measures taken, for a period of at least the most recent ten years of the fan installation. |
| (6) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that all main and booster fans are installed, operated and maintained in accordance with a written procedure prepared and implemented for that purpose. |
[Regulation 8.6 inserted by Notice No. 911, GG 29214, dated 8 September 2006]
| 8.7 | Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Installations |
| (1) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that all refrigeration or air-conditioning installations at the mine comply with the requirements of the South African Bureau of Standards Code of Practice - SANS 10147, "Refrigerating systems including plants associated with air-condition systems" (2002: 4th ed) with respect to its safety, construction, erection, operation, inspection and testing. |
| (2) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that a competent person examines and operationally tests the entire refrigeration system as contemplated in SANS 10147, excluding pressure relief devices, at least once every 3 (three) months. |
| (3) | Regulation 8.7(1) and 8.7(2) do not apply to any— |
| (a) | household refrigerator; |
| (b) | water cooler or similar equipment that contains less than 1kg of refrigerant; |
| (c) | unit type display counter or any commercial refrigerator that contains less than 15 kg of a group 1 refrigerant; and |
| (d) | refrigeration plant that requires a prime mover of less than 10 kW or less. |
| (4) | Despite Regulation 8.7(3) the clauses in SANA 10147 that refer to the Montreal Protocol apply to all air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. |
| (5) | The normative references in the above standard of SANS 10147 are not applicable to the employer. |
| (6) | Repeal |
The following regulations made under the Minerals Act, 1991 (Act No. 50 of 1991) in force in terms of Schedule 4 of the Act are hereby repealed—
Chapter 10 |
Chapter 23 |
10.13 |
23.15.1 |
10.13.1 |
23.15.2 |
10.13.2 |
23.15.3 |
10.13.3 |
23.15.4 |
10.13.4 |
23.15.5 |
10.14 |
23.15.6 |
10.14.1 |
23.15.7 |
10.14.2 |
23.15.8 |
10.14.3 |
23.15.9 |
|
23.15.11 |
|
23.15.12 |
|
23.15.13 |
|
23.15.14 |
|
23.15.15 |
|
23.15.16 |
[Regulation 8.7 inserted by Notice No. 911, GG 29214, dated 8 September 2006]
| 8.8 | General Machinery Regulations |
| (1) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being injured as a result of them, the clothes being worn by them or any equipment being held by them coming into contact with or being drawn into any moving part of any machine. |
| (2) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being injured because of any machinery failing as a result of— |
| (a) | incorrect design; |
| (b) | incorrect installation; |
| (c) | poor maintenance; or |
| (d) | incorrect use or non-compliance with proper operating or safety procedures. |
| (3) | The measures to be taken by the employer in terms of regulation 1 must include measures to ensure that— |
| (a) | only persons authorized by the employer to do so, start operate and maintain any machine where such starting, operation or maintenance may pose a significant risk to any person; |
| (b) | where the moving of machinery may pose a significant risk to any person, such machinery is only moved under the constant supervision of a competent person who is fully aware of the risks attached to such moving of the machinery; |
| (c) | only persons authorised by the employer to do so enter any area where machinery is operated, where such operation may pose a significant risk to any person; |
| (d) | machinery is only operated if all installed safety devices are operational and functional; |
| (e) | persons in close proximity to moving parts of machinery do not wear or are not permitted to wear clothing or anything else that can be caught in such moving parts; |
| (f) | where the unexpected moving of any machinery or any part of any machinery could pose a significant risk to any person, appropriate prestart warning devices, such as audible warning devices, the delay time must be determined by risk assessment with a minimum of a ten second time delay, are fitted to such machinery and used to warn persons that such machinery is about to be set in motion; |
| (g) | here there could be a significant risk to any person working on any machinery due to the release from such machine of any mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, chemical or other source of energy, a written lockout procedure is prepared and implemented to ensure that such source of energy is effectively locked out and de-energised before any person works on such machinery; |
| (h) | access scaffolding is erected, used, maintained and dismantled safely and in accordance with SANS Standard 10085-1:2004 "The design, erection, use and inspection of access scaffolding". |
| (i) | means are provided, on or in close proximity to any machine, to immediately remove the source of power to that machine in case of an emergency; |
| (j) | where the starting of machines are interlocked, no unintended starting of any of those machines can take place; |
| (k) | starting devices are so arranged that no accidental starting of machinery can take place; |
| (l) | and all electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic portable equipment are operated and maintained in a safe working order; |
| (4) | The measures to be taken by the employer to prevent any person from coming into contact with any moving part of machinery or any equipment attached thereto, must include— |
| (a) | effective physical barriers at the machinery such as screening, guarding or fencing; or |
| (b) | failsafe electric or electronic barriers interlocked with the machinery in such a way that the machinery would be stopped before persons come into contact with moving machinery or parts thereof; or |
| (c) | effective barriers at a safe distance away from any machinery. |
| (5) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that: |
| (a) | when a compression ignition engine system is found to have any defect which may cause a significant risk to the safety or health of persons, the use of such engine system is discontinued immediately; |
| (b) | all services, maintenance and repairs to diesel-powered equipment are performed by a competent person; |
| (c) | all areas where diesel fuel is stored and where fuelling is carried out are clearly marked and that measures are in place to prevent spillage, contamination and fire, including that— |
| (i) | diesel engine fuel is delivered underground in such a way that no spillage takes place during delivery; |
| (ii) | when fuel is piped underground fuel delivery pipes are drained each time after use; |
| (iii) | fuel is stored underground only in non-flammable robust containers which do not leak; and |
| (iv) | the quantity of fuel stored underground is limited to 3 (three) day's estimated consumption. |
| (6) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that every mobile diesel engine powered unit, when not in use, is kept at a location that is sufficiently ventilated to prevent a build up of diesel fumes in the air at that location sufficient to cause a significant risk when starting up that engine. |
| (7) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that all areas where diesel fuel is stored are clearly indicated on the mine's rescue plan contemplated in regulation 17(19). |
[Regulation 8.8 inserted by Notice No. R. 93 dated 1 February 2008]
| 8.9 | Conveyor Belt |
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.9, unless the context otherwise indicates—
"conveyor 'belt installation" means a mechanical system used for the transportation of minerals, material, or persons on a belt.
"designated sections" means the drive section, take up tension section, snub pulley sections, transfer point sections and tail pulley sections.
[Definition inserted by Regulation 1(a) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
"power supply" means any energy source feeding the drive motor of a conveyor belt installation
| (1) | In compliance with regulation 8.8(1) the employer must ensure that— |
| (a) | the designated sections of a conveyer belt installation are to be guarded, as per regulation 8.8(4) and not cleaned when any of its parts are in motion: provided that washing with pressurized water from a safe distance outside the guarded area may be carried out, subject to regulation 8.9(1)(i); |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(a) substituted by Regulation 1(b) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (b) | the power supply of a stored energy of a stationary conveyer belt installation are locked-out during either repairs, maintenance or cleaning of spillage in the designated sections: provided that the alignment and training of a conveyor belt installation may be carried out whilst the belt is in motion subject to it being carried out in accordance with a procedure prepared and implemented for this purpose; |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(b) substituted by Regulation 1(c) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (c) | the driving machinery of the conveyor belt installation can be stopped by any person from any point, along its length where access to the belt is possible; |
| (d) | the driving machinery of the conveyor belt installation is stopped should the belt break, jam or slip excessively; |
| (e) | persons are prevented from entering any side of a conveyer belt installation, unless means have been provided to do so safely; |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(e) substituted by Regulation 1(d) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (f) | one or more devices are fitted and used to give all persons at any point where access to the conveyer belt installation is possible sufficient prior warning for a period to be determined by the mines risk assessment with a minimum period of 10 seconds that any part of such a conveyer belt installation is about to be put into motion; |
| (g) | the take up or belt tensioning device will not move when repairs, routine cleaning, cleaning of spillage, maintenance at the belt tensioning device or belt splicing is carried out; |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(e) substituted by Regulation 1(e) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (h) | where two or more conveyor belt installations are used in series, sequence interlocking is provided which automatically will, except when approved maintenance specific procedures are carried out that require an independent conveyor test run— |
| (aa) | stop all conveyor belt installations feeding a belt conveyor that has stopped; and |
| (bb) | prevent a conveyor belt from starting until the conveyor belt onto which it feeds is moving; |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(h) substituted by Regulation 1(f) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (i) | only persons authorised to do so by the employer operate, maintain, clean and repair a conveyor belt installation; and provided that any routine cleaning outside the designated sections of the conveyor section of the belt is carried out in accordance with a procedure prepared and implemented for this purpose; |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(i) substituted by Regulation 1(g) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (j) | the belt of any conveyor belt installation is installed in such a way that no uncontrolled run away can occur; and |
[Regulation 8.9(1)(j) substituted by Regulation 1(h) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (k) | the overall structural design of every conveyor belt installation is approved by a competent person. |
| (2) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being injured by material or mineral falling from a conveyor belt installation, which measures must include the fitting and use of one or more devices to prevent run-back or run-on; when such conveyor belt installation is stopped; |
[Regulation 8.9(3) substituted as 8.9(2) by Regulation 1(i) of Notice No. R622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (3) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being exposed to flames, fumes or smoke arising from a conveyor belt installation catching fire, including instituting measures to prevent, detect and combat such fires. |
[Regulation 8.9(4) substituted as 8.9(3) by Regulation 1(j) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (4) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being injured as a result of the breaking, misalignment or damage of a conveyor belting due to any mineral, material or coal dust accumulating on or around the moving parts of any conveyor belt installation. |
[Regulation 8.9(5) substituted as 8.9(5) by Regulation 1(k) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (5) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons at or near conveyor belt installations from being injured due to lightning directly or indirectly striking the installation. |
[Regulation 8.9(6) substituted as 8.9(5) by Regulation 1(l) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (6) | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the use, operation and inspection of man-riding conveyors comply with SANS 10266: 2006 - Edition 1 "The safe use, operation and inspection of man-riding belt conveyors in mines". |
[Regulation 8.9(7) substituted as 8.9(6) by Regulation 1(m) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (7) | The normative references in SANS 10266: 2006 are not applicable to the employer. |
[Regulation 8.9(8) substituted as 8.9(7) by Regulation 1(n) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (8) | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that the functionality of the devices contemplated in regulation 8.9(1)(c) and (f) and of any other safety devices relating to the conveyor belt are tested— |
| (a) | once a week not exceeding ten days, where such devices are in the designated sections; |
| (b) | every three months where such devices are outside of the designated sections; and |
| (c) | immediately after any belt extension or shortening thereof has taken place. |
[Regulation 8.9(9) substituted as 8.9(8) by Regulation 1(o) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
| (9) | The employer must ensure that a written procedure is prepared and implemented for conveyor belt splicing, joining and repairing and for the safe use of chemicals during such splicing, joining and repairing. |
[Regulation 8.9(10) substituted as 8.9(9) by Regulation 1(p) of Notice No. R. 622 dated 23 August 2013]
8.10 Trackless Mobile Machinery
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.10, unless the context otherwise indicates—
"Braking System"
means a device or combination of devices capable of reducing the speed of a trackless mobile machine to a standstill;
"Combined Braking Systems"
means a braking system consisting of a service brake and at least one of the following: either a park brake or an emergency brake;
"Emergency Brake"
means an easily accessible device, which when applied, will bring the trackless mobile machine to a standstill under all operating and emergency conditions;
"Fail to Safe"
means so designed as to activate and effectively perform its intended function without harm to persons and without human intervention;
"Park Brake"
means a brake capable of holding fully loaded, parked trackless mobile machine stationary, at the maximum safe operating gradient, without the support of any other braking system;
"Remote Controlled"
means the control and operation of a trackless mobile machine by an operator, by means of a wireless remote control device or a remote control device by means of a cable system, where the operator has direct physical sight of the trackless mobile machine;
"Service Brake"
means the primary operating brake capable of retarding and stopping the fully loaded trackless mobile machine;
"Static Test"
means a test carried out to determine the compliance of the brake holding power of a trackless mobile machine measured against the design specification or an appropriate safety standard;
"Trackless Mobile Machine"
means any self propelled mobile machine that is used for the purpose of performing mining, transport or associated operations underground or on surface at a mine and is mobile by virtue of its movement on wheels, skids, tracks, mechanical shoes or any other device fitted to the machine, but excludes rail bound equipment, scraper winches, mono rail installations, static winches, draglines, winding machinery installations, track mounted conveyors and any equipment attached thereto;
"Trailer"
means any vehicle that is not self propelled and needs to be towed by a trackless mobile machine by design.
Regulations
Collisions between trackless mobile machines and pedestrians
| 1. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that pedestrian are prevented from being injured as a result of collisions between trackless mobile machines and pedestrian. At any mine where there is a significant risk of such collisions, such measures must include at least the following: |
| 1.1 | All electrically or battery powered trackless mobile machines, excluding shovels, bucket wheel excavators and overburden drills, must be provided with means to automatically detect the presence of any pedestrian within its vicinity. Upon detecting the presence of a pedestrian, the operator of the trackless mobile machine and the pedestrian must be warned of each other's presence by means of an effective warning. In the event where no action is taken to prevent potential collision, further means must be provided to retard the trackless mobile machine to a safe speed where after the brakes of the trackless mobile machine are automatically applied without human intervention. |
| 1.2 | All underground diesel powered trackless mobile machines must be provided with means: |
| (a) | to automatically detect the presence of any pedestrian within its vicinity. Upon detecting the presence of a pedestrian, the operator of the diesel powered trackless mobile machine and the pedestrian shall be warned of each other's presence by means of an effective warning; and |
| (b) | in the event where no action is taken to prevent potential collision, further means shall be provided to retard the diesel powered trackless mobile machine to a safe speed where after the brakes of the diesel powered trackless mobile machine are automatically applied. The prevent potential collision system on the diesel powered trackless mobile machine must fail to safe without human intervention. |
[Commencement of Regulation 8.10.1.2(b) by Notice No. 2908 of GG47790, dated 21 December 2022]
Collisions between diesel powered trackless mobile machines
| 2. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of collisions between diesel powered trackless mobile machines. At any opencast or open pit mine where there is a significant risk of such collisions, such measures must include: |
| 2.1 | Every diesel powered trackless mobile machine must be provided with means to automatically detect the presence of any other diesel powered trackless mobile machine within its vicinity; and |
| (a) | upon detecting the presence of another diesel powered trackless mobile machine, the operators of both diesel powered trackless mobile machines shall be warned of each other's presence by means of an effective warning; and |
| (b) | in the event where no action is taken to prevent potential collision, further means shall be provided to retard the diesel powered trackless mobile machine to a safe speed where after the brakes of the diesel powered trackless mobile machine are automatically applied. The prevent potential collision system on the diesel powered trackless mobile machine must "fail to safe" without human intervention. |
[Commencement of Regulation 8.10.2.1(b) by Notice No. 2908 of GG47790, dated 21 December 2022]
Collisions between trackless mobile machines and rail bound equipment
| 2.2 | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of collisions between trackless mobile machines and rail bound equipment. At underground operations where there i.e., a significant risk of such collisions, such measures must include warning the operators of the trackless mobile machine and the locomotive of each other's presence by means of an effective warning. |
Trackless mobile machines running uncontrolled
| 3. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent trackless mobile machines running uncontrolled. |
Overturning of any trackless mobile machine
| 4. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of overturning of any trackless mobile machine. Roll over-protection structures must be fitted on trackless mobile machines if required in terms of the mine's risk assessment. |
Objects falling onto operators and/or passengers of trackless mobile machines
| 5. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of objects falling onto operators and/or passengers of trackless mobile machines. Trackless mobile machines must be fitted with falling object protection structures to protect operators and passengers from falling objects if required in terms of the mine's risk assessment. |
Persons inadvertently falling out of or being ejected from trackless mobile machines
| 6. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of operators and/or passengers inadvertently falling out of or being ejected from any trackless mobile machine in motion. |
Braking systems
| 7. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of brake failure. Such measures must include ensuring: |
| 7.1 | that trackless mobile machines are operated with adequate and effective braking systems; |
| 7.2 | all braking systems are adequately and routinely tested for intended functionality; |
| 7.3 | all braking systems are regularly maintained; and |
| 7.4 | that where a combined braking system is used, the design of the braking system is such that it complies with the requirements for the separate systems and that it fails to safe. |
Restricted operator visibility
| 8. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of restricted operator visibility. |
Fatigue while operating a trackless mobile machine
| 9. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured as a result of fatigue of operators. Such measures must include a fatigue management procedure for operators. |
Battery charging facilities
| 10. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that battery charging facilities are ergonomically designed, constructed and equipped with the following: |
| (i) | Adequate through ventilation; |
| (ii) | Adequate fire suppression equipment; |
| (iii) | Effective provisions to treat persons in the event of acid spillage; and |
| (iv) | Appropriate and adequate lighting. |
Diesel refuelling facilities
| 11. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that diesel refueling facilities are ergonomically designed, constructed and equipped with the following: |
| (i) | Adequate through ventilation; |
| (ii) | Adequate fire suppression equipment; |
| (iii) | Effective provisions to cater for oil and diesel spillages; and |
| (iv) | Appropriate and adequate lighting. |
| (v) | Surface diesel refuelling facilities are in accordance with: |
| a. | SANS 10089-1 (2008): The petroleum industry Part 1: Storage and distribution of petroleum products in above-ground bulk installations. |
| b. | SANS 10089-2 (2007): The petroleum industry Part 2: Electrical and other installations in the distribution and marketing sector. |
| c. | SANS 10089-3 (2010): The petroleum industry Part 3: The installation, modification, and decommissioning of underground storage tanks, pumps/dispensers and pipe work at service stations and consumer installations. |
Wheels, tyres and rims
| 12. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures are prepared and implemented to prevent persons from being injured as a result of the use, storage and handling of wheels, tyres and rims. |
Access of persons to and from the trackless mobile machines
| 13. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that trackless mobile machines are designed, constructed and maintained such that persons getting on and off, or working on them can do so safely. |
Visibility of trackless mobile machines, skid mounted machinery and trailers to persons
| 14. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that trackless mobile machines, skid mounted machinery and trailers are visible to persons in their vicinity. |
Unauthorised access to or operation of trackless mobile machines
| 15. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that unauthorised persons do not ride on or operate trackless mobile machines. |
Isolation and lock-out of trackless mobile machines
| 16. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures are prepared and implemented for the safe isolation and lockout of trackless mobile machines. |
Operating procedures
| 17. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures are prepared and implemented for the safe operation of trackless mobile machines. |
Maintenance standards and procedures
| 18. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures and standards are prepared and implemented for maintaining trackless mobile machines in a safe operating condition. |
Remote and remotely controlled trackless mobile machines
| 19. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that remote control devices for trackless mobile machines using a wireless remote control device comply with: |
| (a) | SANS 61000-4-2 (IEC 61000-4-2) Electrostatic immunity discharge test; |
| (b) | SANS 61000-4-3 (IEC 61000-4-3) Radiated, radio frequency, electromagnetic field immunity test; |
| (c) | SANS 61000-4-4 (IEC 61000-4-4) Electrical fast transient/burst immunity test; |
| (d) | SANS 61000-4-5 (IEC 61000-4-5) Surge immunity test. |
| (e) | SANS 61000-4-6 (IEC 61000-4-6) Immunity to conducted disturbances, induced by radio-frequency fields; |
| (f) | SANS 61000-4-8 (IEC 61000-4-8) Power frequency magnetic field immunity test; and. |
| (g) | SANS 61000-4-11 (IEC 61000-4-11) Voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage variations immunity test. |
Trailers
| 20. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that: |
| (a) | the design and construction of any trailer is in accordance with specifications approved by a competent person, which specifications must take into account the intended use of the trailer; |
| (b) | the design and construction of trailer coupling and uncoupling mechanisms is such that coupling and uncoupling can be done safely and that no inadvertent uncoupling of the trailer can take place; and |
| (c) | procedures are prepared and implemented for the safe operation of trailers. |
Towing and recovery of trackless mobile machines
| 21. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures are prepared and implemented for the safe recovery and towing of trackless mobile machines. |
Roadway conditions
| 22. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the design, construction and maintenance of roadways are appropriate for the type and category of trackless mobile machine |
Selection, training, appointment and licensing of trackless mobile machine operators
| 23. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures are prepared and implemented for the selection, training, appointment and licensing of trackless mobile machine operators, which procedures must include: |
| 23.1 | physical and psychological pre-selection criteria; |
| 23.2 | a training programme for trackless mobile machine operators, covering: |
| (i) | theoretical training in a training Centre; |
| (ii) | practical training; and |
| (iii) | on the job training. |
| 23.3 | assessment of the trainee, on successful completion of the training programme, by a competent person; |
| 23.4 | that only operators, assessed to be competent are authorised in writing by the responsible engineer to operate trackless mobile machines; |
| 23.5 | that operators of trackless mobile machines are authorized in writing by their supervisor to operate trackless mobile machines. Such authorization must detail their duties, responsibilities, limitations and areas of operation. |
| 23.6 | when an operator has not operated a trackless mobile machine for a period of two years, such operator is re-assessed to be competent by a competent person prior to being issued with a new license. |
| 23.7 | that every operator of trackless mobile machines is issued with a license containing at least the following: |
| (i) | a photograph to positively identify the operator; |
| (ii) | the trackless mobile machine types which the operator may operate; |
| (iii) | date of issue and expiry date; and |
| (iv) | the operator's company identification number. |
Pre-use inspection procedures
| 24. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that procedures are prepared and implemented for inspecting trackless mobile machines immediately prior to use, which procedures must include: |
| 24.1 | that the operator of the trackless mobile machines physically inspects and ensures that the brakes, lights and any other defined safety features and devices are functioning as intended prior to setting such trackless mobile machines in motion; |
| 24.2 | pre-use check lists that have to be completed by all operators of trackless mobile machines at the beginning of their shift. Such check lists must clearly identify all the components, features and functionalities to be inspected by the operator. For each component, feature or functionality, the check list must clearly indicate the pre-established criteria under which the trackless mobile machines may or may not be put in motion. |
Reversing over the edge of a stockpile
| 25. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent any trackless mobile machine reversing over the edge of a stockpile or dump. |
Inadvertent movement of the trackless mobile machine
| 26. | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to prevent inadvertent movement of any trackless mobile machine whilst parked. |
Mandatory carrying of license
| 27. | All operators of trackless mobile machines must have their originally issued license on their person whilst operating any trackless mobile machine. |
Certain regulations not applicable
| 28. | Regulations 8.10.23 and 8.10.27 do not apply to trackless mobile machines licensed under the National Road Transportation Act 2000 and not used for primary mining activities. |
[Regulation 8.10 inserted by Notice No. R. 125 dated 27 February 2015 - commenced on 27 May 2015, except subregulations 8.10.1.2(b) and 8.10.2.1(b)]
8.11 Lifts
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.11, unless the context otherwise indicates—
Lift
means any installation used or intended to be used for the conveyance of persons, material, explosives or minerals by means of a car fitted with safety catches running on fixed solid guides and serving defined levels, where the control system of the driving machine is not normally operated manually from the motor or engine room;
material
means whatever may be conveyed by means of a winding plant, lift or self-propelled mobile machine, excluding persons, minerals and explosives;
explosive
means—
| (a) | a substance, or mixture of substances, in a solid or liquid state, which is capable of producing an explosion; |
| (b) | a pyrotechnic substance in a solid or liquid state, or a mixture of such substances, designed to produce an effect by heat, light, sound, gas or smoke, or a combination of these, as the result of non detonative self- sustaining exothermic chemical reaction, including pyrotechnic substances which do not evolve gases; |
| (c) | any article or device containing one or more substances contemplated in paragraph (a); or |
| (d) | any other substance or article which the relevant Minister may from time to time by notice in the Gazette declare to be an explosive in terms of the Explosive Act, Act No. 15 of 2003; |
recoverable recordable system
means any recordable system that will retain the data captured therein indefinitely and which—
| (a) | captures the time and date of every entry, name and signature of every person making an entry; |
| (b) | allows for the retrieving of all data captured; |
| (c) | incorporates measures to prevent unauthorised changes to any captured data; |
| (d) | is auditable; and |
| (e) | in the case of an electronic system, is backed up at least weekly. |
Supervision by a competent person
| 8.11.1 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that lifts are installed, modified, operated and maintained under the supervision of a competent person. |
Lift particulars to be sent to the Principal Inspector
| 8.11 2 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that the Principal Inspector of Mines is notified: |
| (a) | on form DMR 298 lift particulars prescribed in Chapter 21, of the required particulars of the lift prior to the commencement of: |
| (i) | its installation; |
| (ii) | major modifications to the lift as defined in the relevant standard referred to in regulation 8.11.5; or |
| (iii) | its decommissioning, either after having been extended, relocated or not being used for a continuous period of six (6) months. |
| (b) | In writing within 30 days if any lift has been decommissioned or has not been used for more than six (6) consecutive months. |
Lift particulars to be available
| 8.11.3 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that a copy of any notification contemplated in regulation 8.11.2 is kept readily available at the mine. |
Permit issued prior to the enactment of these regulations to be kept
| 8.11.4 | Any employer, using a lift for which a permit was issued by the Principal Inspector of Mines prior to enactment of these regulations, must take reasonable measures to ensure that such permit is kept readily available at the mine. |
Construction, installation and commissioning of lifts
| 8.11.5 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that every lift is constructed, installed and commissioned in accordance with the following South African Bureau of Standards Specifications, where applicable: |
| (a) | SANS 1545 - 1:2014 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. |
Part 1 - Electric Lifts;
| (b) | SANS 1545 - 2:2009 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. |
Part 2 - Hydraulic lifts;
| (c) | SANS 1545 - 5:2007 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. |
Part 5 - Access goods only lifts:
| (d) | SANS 1545 - 6:2014 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. |
Part 6 - Rack and Pinion lifts;
| (e) | SANS 4344:2004 Steel wire ropes for lifts- Minimum requirements; |
| (f) | SANS 10360:2006 The maintenance and repair of electric and hydraulic powered lifts, escalators and passenger conveyors; |
| (g) | SANS 50081- 1:2004/EN 91- 1:2004 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts |
Part 1: Electric lifts;
| (h) | SANS 50081- 2:1998/EN 81- 2:2000 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts |
Part 2: Hydraulic lifts;
| (i) | SANS 50081- 3:2005/EN 81- 3:2000 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts |
Part 3: Electric and hydraulic service lifts; and
| (j) | SANS /ISO/TS 14798 2009 |
Lift (elevators), escalators and passenger conveyors- Risk analysis methodology.
| 8.11.6 | The normative references in the SANS standards listed in 8.11.5 are not applicable to the employer. |
Examination and testing of lifts
| 8.11.7 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that a written is prepared by a procedure competent person and implemented for the examination, testing, repair and maintenance of every lift. Such procedure must take into account: |
| (a) | any original equipment manufacture's recommendations; |
| (b) | the relevant SANS standard; and |
| (c) | the site specific risks identified in terms of the mine's risk assessment. |
8.11.8 The procedure contemplated in regulation 8.11.7 must provide for at least the following:
| (a) | that a competent person examines and tests the entire lift installation at least once a month; |
| (b) | that a competent person examines at least once a calendar week the lift installation, well. guides, ropes and rope attachments, the driving machinery, the drums, sheaves, all safety devices and appliances to identify any deterioration of the components; |
| (c) | that records are kept readily available at the mine of the examinations carried out and of the competent persons who did the examinations; and |
| (d) | that a recoverable recordable system is established and maintained at the mine in which is captured details of all maintenance, repairs, testing, inspections and examinations of the lift installation and of the findings, which must be captured by the competent person who undertook the maintenance, repairs, inspections or examinations within 24 hours from completion of such maintenance, repairs, inspections or examinations. |
| 8.11.9 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure: |
| (a) | if as a result of examination, any weakness or defect is found which may pose a risk to the health or safety of any person, that the lift is not used until the defect has been rectified; and |
| (b) | when a landing door or other gate is required to be open while a lift is being examined, serviced, or repaired or while any other work is being done in the hatchway, that an effective barrier is provided and used to prevent inadvertent access to the hatchway. |
Operating procedure
| 8.11.10 | The employer must take reasonably practical measures to ensure that the simultaneous transportation of persons, equipment is carried out or material in a conveyance in accordance with an operating procedure prepared and implemented for that purpose. |
Emergency preparedness
| 8.11.11 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that an emergency preparedness procedure is drawn up, after consultation with the lift manufacturer, for the rescue of persons trapped in a car in a lift well. |
Flooding of lift well
| 8.11.12 | he employer must take reasonable measures to ensure, where there is a risk of a lift well or shaft being flooded to a level that may pose a significant risk to persons travelling in the car, that measures are in place to prevent the car from entering any flooded area of the lift well or shaft. |
| 8.11.13 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that any examination contemplated in regulation 8.11.8 is conducted in the presence of an Inspector if so requested in advance by the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
[Regulation 8.11 inserted by Notice Nos. R. 894 and R. 896 dated 25 August 2017]
| 8.12 | Chairlifts |
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.12, unless the context otherwise indicates—
chairlift
means any appliance or combination of appliances, haulages and excluding endless rope monoropes, used or intended to be used for the conveyance of any load, including persons, by means of:
(i) chairs or other means of conveyances suspended from an endless hauling rope; or
(ii) chairs or conveyances moved with a hauling rope or chain and running on a rope or in or on a rail circuit.
Supervision by a competent person
| 8.12.1 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that the installation. modification, operation and maintenance of every chairlift is under the supervision of a competent person. |
Chairlift Particulars to be sent to the Principal Inspector
8.12.2 The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that the Principal Inspector of Mines is notified:
| 8.12.2.1 | on Form DMR 299 Chairlift particulars prescribed in Chapter 21, of the required particulars of every chairlift prior to commencement of: |
| (a) | its installation; |
| (b) | major modifications (as defined in SANS 273:2007 Edition 1 "The design, construction, maintenance and safe operation of chairlifts in mines") to it; or |
| (c) | its recommissioning, either after having been extended, relocated or not being used for a continuous period of six (6) months. |
| 8.122.2 | in writing within 30 days if any chairlift has been decommissioned or has not been used for more than six (6) consecutive months. |
Chairlift Particulars available
| 8.12.3 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that a copy of the notification as contemplated in regulation 8.12.2.1 is kept readily available at the mine and is also displayed where it can be seen by users of the chairlift. |
Permit issued prior to enactment of these regulations to be kept and displayed
| 8.12.4 | Any employer, using a chairlift for which a permit was issued by the Principal Inspector of Mines prior to enactment of these regulations, must take reasonable measures to ensure that such permit is kept readily available at the mine and that a copy of it is displayed where it can be seen by users of the chairlift. |
Construction, installation and testing of chairlifts
| 8.12.5 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that every chairlift is constructed, installed, maintained and tested in accordance Edition 1 "The with SANS 273:2007 design, construction, maintenance and safe operation of chairlifts in mines". |
| 8.12.6 | Any employer intending to install a chairlift of a design not covered by the scope of SANS 273:2007 Edition 1 may only do so with permission of the Chief Inspector of Mines and subject to such conditions as may be specified. |
| 8 12.7 | The normative references in the SANS standards in 8.12.6 are not applicable to the employer. |
Examination and testing of chairlifts
| 8.12.8 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that a written procedure is prepared by a competent person and implemented for the examination, testing and maintenance of every chairlift. Such procedure must take into account: |
(a) any original equipment manufacture's recommendations;
(b) SANS 273:2007 Edition 1 "Standard for the design, construction, maintenance and safe operation of chairlifts in mines "; and
(c) the site specific risks identified in terms of the mine's risk assessment.
8.12.9 The procedure contemplated in regulation 8.12.8 must provide for at least the following:
(a) that a competent person examines and tests the entire chairlift at least once installation a month;
(b) that the chairlift installation is functionally tested and examined at least once a week by a competent person(s);
| (c) | that if as a result of examination or test any weakness or defect is found which presents a significant risk to any person, the chairlift is not used until the defect has been rectified; and |
| (d) | that a lock -out procedure is in place to remove the tension on the hauling rope before any repair or replacement on the drive system is undertaken. |
Chairlift operation
| 8.12.10 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that only a competent person(s) operates any chairlift and does so in accordance with a written procedure prepared and implemented for this purpose. Such procedure must cover at least the following: |
| (a) | loading and unloading of persons and other loads; |
| (b) | stopping and starting; |
| (c) | investigation and reporting of malfunctioning and corrective measures to be taken; |
| (d) | initial examination before commissioning; and |
| (e) | emergency procedures for persons to disembark in case of a trip out. |
Chairlift installation where other traffic exists
| 8.12.11 | The employer must take reasonable measures to ensure that, where a chairlift operates in the same excavation or close proximity to other traffic or moving equipment, a procedure is prepared and implemented to prevent persons from being injured by such traffic or moving equipment. |
[Regulation 8.12 inserted by Notice Nos. R. 894 and R. 896 dated 25 August 2017]
| 8.13 | Shafts and winders |
Definitions
For purposes of regulation 8.13, unless the context otherwise indicates:
'Abnormally tight winding rope' means any load exceeding the total payload which includes the mass of the suspended load as prescribed on the winding plant permit;
'Approved winding rope testing station' means a testing station approved by the Chief Inspector of Mines for the destructive testing of ropes used in a winding plant;
'Attached load' means everything suspended from or attached to the winding rope and includes the portion of any balance rope and one half of any tail carriage and one half of any sheave which contributes to load at the termination of the winding rope;
'Attachments' include everything suspended from or attached to the conveyance other than the winding rope and includes any balance rope;
'Automatic winding plant' means a winding plant that is automatically operated;
'Balance winding rope' includes tail rope, balance rope or balance chain;
'Banksman' means a person stationed at the shaft top, who shall be the holder of an onsetter's certificate, appointed by the manager to supervise the loading and unloading of persons, material and explosives in the cage, skip, or other means of conveyance and to give the necessary signals;
'Drive' means, for the purpose of regulation 8.13.105, any action requiring skill whereby the control levers of the winding plant are manipulated in such a way that the winding engine moves in direct relation to the movement of the lever;
'Explosives' shall have the same meaning as is assigned to that term in the Explosives Act, 2003 (Act No. 15 of 2003);
'Effective length of rope' means the length of the winding rope from the clove hitch knot or on the drum over the sheave or drum in the headgear and the humble hook or attachment mechanism to the conveyance;
'Initial breaking strength' means the maximum load capacity of a sample of a new rope as determined by the destructive testing in accordance with the applicable testing standards, at an approved winding rope testing station;
'Material' means whatever may be conveyed by means of a winding plant elevator or self-propelled mobile machine excluding persons, minerals and explosives;
'Nominal rope diameter' means the rope diameter specified by the manufacturer;
'Onsetter' means a person who shall be the holder of an onsetter's certificate issued by the Principal Inspector of Mines and appointed by the manager to have charge of a cage, skip or other means of conveyance underground in which persons, material, equipment and explosives are being raised or lowered and to give the necessary signals;
'Prescribed permit' means a winding plant permit prescribed by these regulations;
'Recoverable recordable system' means any recordable system that will retain the data captured therein indefinitely and which:
| (a) | captures the time and date of every entry, name and signature of every person making an entry; |
| (b) | allows for the retrieving of all data captured; |
| (c) | Incorporates measures to prevent unauthorised changes to any captured data; |
| (d) | is auditable; and |
| (e) | in the case of an electronic system, is backed up at least weekly; |
'Semi-automatic winding plant' means a winding plant that can be operated partly manually and automatically;
'Shaft' means any tunnel having a cross-sectional dimension of 3,7 metres or over and—
| (a) | being inclined to the horizontal of 15 degrees or over; or |
| (b) | being inclined to the horizontal of less than 15 degrees but more than 10 degrees where the speed of traction may exceed two metres per second; |
'Slack winding rope' means any loss of tension of the rope due to risk factors such as the obstruction of the free movement of the conveyance between highest and the lowest point of winding;
"Station level" means the bank and any level in a shaft, at which conveyances stop for the loading or unloading of persons, equipment, material, minerals or explosives;
'Shaft station' means the area surrounding the shaft at every station level and identified and demarcated as the shaft station by the employer;
'Suspended load' means the sum of the attached load and the mass of the effective length of rope.
'The Act' means the Mine Health and Safety Act, Act No. 29 of 1996, as amended;
'Winding cycle' means a full or partial return trip starting with a conveyance at the bank level and ending with the same conveyance returning to the bank level;
'Winding Engine Driver' means a person who is the holder of a Winding Engine Driver Certificate issued by the Chief Inspector of Mines and appointed by the manager for the purpose of safely transporting persons, material, equipment, mineral and explosives up and down the shaft;
'Winding plant' means any hoist or other appliance used or intended to be used for the conveyance of persons, material, explosives or mineral by means of a cage, skip or other means of conveyance in any shaft or winze where the control system of the driving machinery can normally be operated manually or automatically from the motor or engine room, but excluding any lift or elevator, lifting machine, endless rope haulage and scraper winch installation;
'Winze' means any tunnel having an inclination below the horizontal in the direction of working of more than 5 degrees and not included in the definition of "shaft".
Requirements for the Conveyance of persons in shafts and winzes
| 8.13.1 | The manager of a mine shall not use a winding plant nor permit any other person(s) to use such winding plant unless that person is in possession of a prescribed permit or permission issued by a Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.2 | No person shall ride, cause, or permit any other person to ride in or on a conveyance operated by a winding plant, unless it is permitted by a prescribed permit or permission. |
| 8.13.3 | Every application for the use of a winding plant shall be made to the Principal Inspector of Mines according to the prescribed permit or permission. |
| 8.13.4 | The Principal Inspector of Mines may grant a permit or permission to use such winding plant, subject to conditions as he may specify. |
| 8.13.5 | The permit or permission shall be kept at the mine manager or engineer office and a legible and suitably protected copy thereof shall be displayed in the winding engine room. |
| 8.13.6 | The Principal Inspector of Mines may direct that any regulation to the Mine Health and Safety Act dealing with lifts or elevators shall apply to an automatic or semi-automatic winding plant by giving written notice to that effect to the manager, with specific reference to the regulation concerned, whereupon such regulation shall apply to such winding plant. |
| 8.13.7 | The manager of a mine must carry out specific or periodic tests or inspections of any winding plant as determined by the risk assessment, or when directed to do so by the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.8 | In calculating the total mass of persons to be conveyed in a winding plant, a minimum of 75 kilograms shall be allowed for each person. |
Design of winding engine
| 8.13.9. | The winding engine shall be such that: |
| 8.13.9.1 | when running at various speeds with light or heavy loads it can be readily slowed and stopped and after being stopped it can be restarted immediately in either direction; and |
| 8.13.9.2 | it can lift the maximum unbalanced load on the drum from the bottom to the top of the shaft or winze. |
Brakes and Holding power
| 8.13.10 | Each winding drum or winding sheave that is fitted with a braking system shall be provided with an adequate brake or brakes which shall be kept in proper working order. |
| 8.13.10.1 | For drum type of winding engines where the rope is securely attached to the winding drum the brake or brakes, without the assistance of any counterbalancing effect of any load supported by the other drum, shall be capable of holding without slipping a load on the rope equivalent to the combined mass of: |
| (a) | the conveyance and its attachments; |
| (b) | the maximum permitted mass of mineral, or double the maximum permitted mass of persons, or the maximum permitted mass of material together with double the maximum permitted mass of persons when both material and persons are conveyed simultaneously, whichever is the greatest; and |
| (c) | the mass of the rope between the sheave and the conveyance, when the conveyance is at |
a point in the shaft which produces the maximum static Torque or Amps on the brakes.
| 8.13.10.2 | For a friction drive or sheave type winding engine where the rope or ropes are not securely attached to the winding drum or winding sheave, the brake or brakes shall be capable of holding without slipping the maximum static out-of-balance load which occurs when one of the conveyances, or where a counterpoise is used, the conveyance: |
| (a) | is loaded with the permitted mass of mineral; or |
| (b) | is loaded with double the mass of the permitted number of persons; or |
| (c) | is loaded with double the permitted mass of material together with double the mass of the permitted number of persons when both material and persons are conveyed simultaneously; or |
| (d) | is removed from its bridle. |
| 8.13.11 | All conveyances in the winding plant used for the regular transport of persons, including persons engaged in repairs or shaft work, shall be equipped with a means of removing persons from the shaft in case of an emergency. |
| 8.13.12 | Every winding drum shall have flanges or horns, and if conical or spiral, such other appliances to prevent the rope from slipping off or coiling unevenly. |
| 8.13.13 | For friction drive or sheave type winding engines, where no part of the rope is securely attached to the winding drum or sheave, there shall be no dangerous slipping of the rope on such drum or sheave under any possible working conditions. |
| 8.13.14 | Every winding drum at the driver's right-hand side, or where only one drum is used it shall have an overlay rope. |
| 8.13.15 | The reversing lever of every steam or air operated winding engine and the control lever of every electrically operated winding engine shall follow the overlay rope in the direction of travel. |
| 8.13.16 | Where a hand-operated brake lever is provided on any winding engine it shall be pulled towards the driver to apply the brakes. |
| 8.13.17 | The relief and throttle valve levers of every steam or air operated winding engine shall be in a central position. |
| 8.13.18 | The operating mechanism and locking device of the clutch of every winding drum shall be: |
| (a) | provided with a locking arrangement which shall be used to prevent the inadvertent withdrawal of the clutch. If the clutch is not clearly visible from the driver's operating position, means shall be provided to indicate to the driver at all times the extent to which the clutch is engaged or disengaged; and |
| (b) | of such a design that inadvertent creeping in of the clutch is prevented when the clutch is disengaged. |
| 8.13.19 | For every double drum winder of which one drum can be unclutched it shall be impossible to: |
| (a) | unclutch any winding drum unless the brake or brakes of such drum are fully applied; |
| (b) | release the brake or brakes of such drum until the clutch is fully engaged and securely locked; |
| (c) | unclutch both drums at the same time; and |
| (d) | exceed 2.5m per second when any one of the clutches are withdrawn. |
| 8.13.20 | All bolts and fittings of winding drums, brakes and clutches shall be rendered secure by means of suitable locking devices. |
| 8.13.21 | In addition to any marks on the drum or rope, every winding engine shall be provided with reliable depth indicators. |
| 8.13.22 | Where the length of wind below the uppermost landing place for persons exceeds 100 metres, adequate provision shall be made whereby the winding-engine driver is warned of the arrival of the ascending or descending cage, skip or other means of conveyance at a point in the shaft, the distance of which from the uppermost or lowest, landing place for persons is not less than the equivalent of three revolutions of the drum or sheave of the winding engine. |
| 8.13.23 | Every winding engine shall be fitted with at least one effective automatic overwind prevention device, as well as an effective automatic overspeed prevention device. |
| 8.13.24 | When the designed allowable speed of a winder is reduced due to site specific conditions, the over speed prevention device is set to suit the site-specific conditions. |
| 8.13.25 | The employer must install a device or combination of devices: |
| (a) | that detect slack winding rope and abnormally tight winding rope conditions on every winding plant in which the rope is attached to the drum operating in a vertical shaft, excluding a shaft in the course of being sunk; and |
| (b) | that must on detection of the slack winding rope and abnormally tight winding rope conditions either automatically halt all winding operations in the vertical shaft safely or warn all winding engine drivers operating in such shaft of such conditions. |
| 8.13.26 | The employer must establish an effective and safe procedure for rectifying any slack winding rope or abnormally tight winding rope conditions. |
| 8.13.27 | All winding operations in the vertical shaft: |
| (a) | shall cease when any slack winding rope or abnormally tight rope condition occurs, except if such operations are necessary for rectifying such a slack winding rope or abnormally tight rope condition. In such an event, such operations shall be authorised by the appointed engineer except where the appointed engineer has been given a detailed and recorded report of the slack winding rope or abnormally tight winding rope condition by a responsible person appointed by the manager; |
| (b) | may not resume unless the slack winding rope or abnormally tight rope conditions above have been rectified and the responsible appointed engineer is satisfied that winding operations may continue safely; and |
| (c) | shall have a recoverable recordable system for the recording of all incidents relating to slack winding ropes and abnormally tight winding ropes. |
| 8.13.28 | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that: |
| (a) | a winder with a permitted speed exceeding 5 metres per second is equipped with a speed indicator and a recoverable recording device that records at least time and speed; |
| (b) | the information recorded is kept readily available at the mine for a period of at least 30 days; and |
| (c) | the speed indicator shall be so situated that the winding speed can be easily read at all times by the winding-engine driver from his operating position, and which speed indicator shall be used and maintained in efficient working order. |
Statutory test for brakes
| 8.13.29 | If the means of removing persons from the shaft is by means of emergency brake release, the braking system must be tested at intervals not exceeding 200 days. |
| 8.13.30 | At any speed above 2,5 m/s the maximum deceleration measured at the drum for a person ("men") and/or material winding plant must not exceed 4 m/s2 and for a mineral winding plant ("rock") must not exceed 4,5 m/s2 |
Winder and shaft safety measures
| 8.13.31 | No winding engine plant shall be operated in automatic mode when transporting persons, materials, and explosives to underground workings if the winding engine driver is not in control of such winding engine plant and be seated on the foot plate at all times. |
| 8.13.32 | Regulation 8.13.31 shall not be applicable to a winding engine plant in automatic mode used solely for the purpose of transporting minerals. |
| 8.13.33 | No winding engine driver or any other person shall be allowed to be in charge of the winding engine if under the influence of intoxicants or is reasonably suspected of being under the influence of intoxicants. |
| 8.13.34 | No person shall tamper with or modify any safety devices of a winding engine plant without the prior written consent of the appointed engineer responsible for such affected winding engine plant. Provided that, if any repairs are conducted on such safety devices, they are recorded and reported to the appointed engineer by the quickest possible means. |
| 8.13.35 | No person shall repair, modify or maintain any winding engine plant including its safety devices at any time while there are persons inside the conveyance or who may be affected in the shaft barrel, shaft bottom or headgear except if such measures are necessary for the offloading of persons before fault finding is done. |
Statutory requirements for winding ropes
| 8.13.36 | Any newly installed winding rope, balance rope or guide rope and the rope connections of any such rope: |
| (a) | must be carefully examined by the engineer and may not be used for the raising or lowering of persons until the conveyance loaded with the maximum permitted mass has been run for two complete test trips between the highest and lowest stopping places ordinarily in use; and |
| (b) | must be magnetically tested or rope condition tested its entire length prior to the winding plant put into operation. |
| 8.13.37 | The engineer, in addition to recording the results, must record and sign the results of the examination immediately in the Winding Engine Driver's Logbook provided. |
| 8.13.38 | When any winding rope, balance rope or guide rope is installed or in use is replaced the particulars specified in the MD208 form (Notice of removal of ropes) must be submitted to the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.39 | In determining, the minimum allowable breaking strength of any rope used in a winding plant, the weight in Newtons of any mass carried by the rope must be obtained by multiplying this mass in kilograms by a factor of 9,8. |
| 8.13.40 | Where a conveyance is suspended by two or more winding ropes: |
| (a) | such ropes must be of equal nominal rope diameter and approximate strength; |
| (b) | arrangements must be made to equalize the tension in the ropes; and |
| (c) | each winding rope must be assumed to carry an equal share of the attached load for purposes of calculating rope selection factors. |
| 8.13.41 | The condition of a winding rope or balance rope must be assessed in accordance with the SANS10293: Condition Assessment of Steel Wire Ropes on Mine Winders, as amended and the rope may not be used if the condition thus assessed at that point in the rope has reached the discard criteria. |
| 8.13.42 | Where a winding system operating in a vertical shaft and not using a balance rope is such that it allows for the periodic tensile testing of the winding rope, the winding rope must have an initial breaking strength of not less than: |
| (a) | eight times the attached load; and |
| (b) | four and a half times the suspended load. |
| 8.13.43 | Provided, where a winding system operating in a vertical shaft and not using a balance rope— |
| (a) | allows for the periodic tensile testing of the winding rope; and |
| (b) | complies with the SANS10294: Performance, Operation, Testing and Maintenance of Drum Winders relating to Rope Safety, as amended, the winding rope must have an initial breaking strength as specified in that standard. |
| 8.13.44 | Where a winding plant operating in an incline shaft allows for the testing of the winding rope, the winding rope must have a breaking strength not less than— |
| (a) | ten times the incline component of the attached load; and |
| (b) | five times the incline component of the suspended load. |
| 8.13.45 | Where a winding plant using a balance rope or ropes does not allow for the periodic tensile testing of the winding rope or ropes, the initial breaking strength of the rope must not be less than 8.1 times the suspended load, provided that this factor may be reduced by 0.00135 for every metre of the effective length of rope, but the factor must not be less than: |
| (a) | 6,75 where the conveyance is suspended by a single winding rope; or |
| (b) | 6,19 where the conveyance is suspended by 2 or 3 winding ropes; or |
| (c) | 5,62 where the conveyance is suspended by 4 or more winding ropes, |
Provided that where a winding system operating in a vertical shaft not using a balance rope allows the periodic testing of winding ropes as required and each conveyance is suspended by two or more ropes in conjunction to rope tension compensating system constructed in a way the failure of one rope will not result in momentary lowering of the force acting in any rope, breaking strength of ropes at installation must be specified or 0.95 times or whichever is the greatest.
| 8.13.46 | The breaking strength of a guide rope used in a winding system must not be less than five times the combined weight of the rope and its tensioning weight. |
| 8.13.47 | Any rope which is used to raise or lower a stage in a shaft must have a breaking strength at installation of not less than 4,5 times the combined weight of the effective length of rope and its share of the attached load. |
| 8.13.48 | A sample of every winding rope in use must be cut from the end attached to the conveyance or counterweight at intervals not exceeding six months unless the winding system does not allow shortening of the winding rope. The length of the sample must be as specified by an approved winding rope testing station. |
| 8.13.49 | Where winding ropes are connected to a compensating sheave on the conveyance or counterweight, that part of the ropes that is in contact with the sheave must be cut off and the ropes re-terminated at intervals not exceeding three (3) months. |
| 8.13.50 | The manager must send the sample of a rope cut for tensile testing within two weeks to an approved winding rope testing station where the breaking strength and general condition must be determined. |
| 8.13.51 | For every tensile test carried out by the approved winding rope testing station, the manager must be provided with a certificate showing the results of the test performed. |
| 8.13.52 | If the sample of the winding rope received at the approved winding rope testing station is in a condition not permitting a satisfactory test, the manager must upon request of the approved winding rope testing station provide a new sample. |
| 8.13.53 | Except for friction drive or sheave type of winding engines, there shall not be less than three turns of rope upon the drum when the cage, skip or other means of conveyance is at the lowest point in the shaft or winze from which hoisting is carried out and the end of the rope where applicable shall be fastened securely round the arm or the shaft of the drum. |
| 8.13.54 | A spare rope which complies to these regulations shall be kept in reserve and readily available. |
Requirements at shafts being sunk
| 8.13.55 | For the purpose of work in a shaft, it shall not include work at the bottom of a shaft or winze in the course of being sunk. |
| 8.13.56 | The winding engine driver shall control the speed of the winding engine in such a manner as to ensure that when any bucket or other means of conveyance is approaching or passing through the stage, or the covering provided in accordance with the requirements of this regulation ,it does so slowly and safely and that the crosshead is picked up or released, as the case may be, without shock. |
| 8.13.57 | The bucket or other means of conveyance shall not be lowered directly to the bottom of the shaft if men are present but shall be stopped by the winding-engine driver at least five metres above the bottom and shall not be lowered further until the signal has been given by one of the sinkers thereat. |
8.13.58
| 8.13.58.1 | In a vertical shaft where sets are used to support the guides, guides shall extend down to the lowest set which shall not be more than 15 metres from the bottom, and when winding is being done to the bottom the crosshead shall travel to the lowest set but one. In a vertical shaft where the guides are not supported by sets, the guides for conveyances shall extend down to 30 metres or less from the bottom, and when winding is being done to the bottom the crosshead shall travel to as near the end of the guides as is practicable. |
| 8.13.58.2 | Every vertical shaft or winze where a crosshead is used to guide the bucket or other means of conveyance, shall be equipped with: |
| (a) | an effective device so arranged as to prevent the bucket or other means of conveyance from being lowered below the shaft bank if it is unaccompanied by the crosshead; and |
| (b) | an effective device which will prevent the bucket or other means of conveyance and the crosshead from separating unintentionally anywhere in the shaft or winze, or which will automatically warn the winding engine driver should such separation take place. |
| 8.13.58.3 | No person shall work or be caused or permitted to work at the bottom of the shaft unless protected by an adequate covering extending over the whole area of such shaft, sufficient space only being left therein for the passage of any bucket, skip or other means of conveyance. In a vertical shaft such covering shall be situated not more than 25 metres from the bottom. In an inclined shaft such covering shall be situated not more than 30 metres from the bottom. |
| 8.13.58.4 | In a shaft or winze being sunk or equipped, clutching may be performed with a sinking platform winder with such persons on the sinking platform necessary to ensure that the operations are carried out safely. |
Construction requirements of winding plant conveyances
| 8.13.59 | Every cage used for the regular conveyance of persons shall be of substantial construction and shall be provided with a proper roof or cover and doors. The cage shall be enclosed in such a manner as to prevent any portion of the body of a person therein from accidentally coming into contact with the timber or other equipment in the shaft or winze or the sides of the shaft or winze. The doors shall be securely attached to the cage and so arranged that they cannot be opened outwards or accidentally. Provision shall be made for adequate ventilation through the cage. |
| 8.13.60 | Every skip or kibble, used for the regular conveyance of persons in a vertical or steeply inclined shaft or winze shall be provided with a substantial roof or cover that will safeguard the occupants. |
| 8.13.61 | Every conveyance used for examining, repairing, or doing other work in a vertical or steeply inclined shaft or winze shall be provided with a substantial roof or cover and shall be sufficiently enclosed to protect any person from accidentally falling out. |
| 8.13.62 | Where the roof or cover of a cage, skip or other means of conveyance is used as a platform for persons engaged in examining, repairing, or doing other work in a vertical or steeply inclined shaft or winze, the persons so engaged shall be protected by a hood or cover immediately above them. Such hood or cover shall be removed as soon as this work is completed. |
| 8.13.63 | No trailer: |
| (a) | shall be used in a shaft or winze where persons are regularly conveyed; |
| (b) | shall be attached to a conveyance when such conveyance is used for transportation of persons; and |
| (c) | shall be used for the regular conveyance of persons, unless it is allowed by the permit issued in terms of these regulations: Provided that for the purpose of this regulation, ‘trailer' shall mean any conveyance operated by a winding engine and which is attached to but not forming an integral part of the permanent conveyance, and of which the lateral movement is restrained by means of guide shoes or wheels running on or in guides or tracks. |
Connection to winding plant conveyances
| 8.13.64 | No rope, bar, link, chain, or other connection shall be used for winding purposes unless it is of good quality and manufacture, free from any visible defect and of adequate calculated strength. |
| 8.13.65 | The connection between: |
| (a) | any winding rope and the cage, skip, bucket, kibble, or other means of conveyance or counterpoise; |
| (b) | any balance rope or tail rope and the conveyance or counterpoise; and |
| (c) | any connecting rope and the conveyance, any trailer or other attached conveyance; shall be such that no accidental disconnection can take place. |
| 8.13.66 | At intervals of not more than six months the connections between: |
| (a) | any winding rope and the conveyance or counterpoise; |
| (b) | the conveyance and any trailer or other attached conveyance; and |
| (c) | any balance rope or tail rope and the conveyance or counterpoise, |
shall be annealed or given proper heat treatment or shall be discarded and replaced. With connections of a class of steel approved by the Chief Inspector of Mines, the interval for heat treatment may be extended with the written permission of the Chief Inspector of Mines.
| 8.13.67 | A proper record shall be kept by the responsible engineer of the non-destructive testing, refurbishment and working life of any part connecting the conveyance to the winding rope. All such connections and their component parts shall be marked clearly for the purpose of identification. |
Winding plant signaling arrangements.
| 8.13.68 | The following standard code of signals shall be used and strictly observed where a winding plant is operated at a shaft or winze: |
| 8.13.69 | In addition to the standard code of signals, other signals may be used provided that they have been approved in writing by the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.70 | Any person acting in conflict with the standard code of signals or of any of the other signals approved in writing by the Principal Inspector of Mines and used on a mine shall be guilty of an offence. |
| 8.13.71 | No person shall enter or have access to or be permitted to enter or have access to a cage or other conveyance for any purpose whatsoever or shall continue to travel in a cage or other conveyance or shall leave or be permitted to leave a cage or other conveyance unless and until the appropriate signals have been exchanged, or, if a signal cannot be given on the bell system, some other appropriate and distinct signal has been received from the winding engine driver. |
| 8.13.72 | Every shaft in which winding is carried out, other than a shaft in the course of being sunk, shall be provided with some efficient signaling arrangements in respect of each winding plant for interchanging distinct and definite signals between: |
| (a) | the winding engine driver and the bank; and |
| (b) | the winding engine driver and every established point below the bank from which winding is carried out. |
| 8.13.73 | Every shaft where persons travel on or in the conveyance while carrying out any examination, repair or other work shall be provided with some efficient means, approved by the Principle Inspector of Mines whereby the persons doing such examination or work can signal effectively from any depth in the shaft to the winding engine driver. |
| 8.13.74 | Every inclined/declined shaft in the course of being sunk shall be provided with some efficient signaling arrangement in respect of each winding plant for interchanging distinct and definite signals between: |
| (a) | the winding engine driver and the bank; |
| (b) | the winding engine driver and every established intermediate landing station below the bank; and |
| (c) | the winding engine driver and a point not more than 40 metres from the bottom of the shaft. When this point is more than 15 metres from the bottom of the shaft, some efficient signaling arrangements shall also be provided and used for signaling from the bottom of the shaft to this point. |
| 8.13.75 | Every vertical shaft in the course of being sunk shall be provided with two separate means for each winding plant whereby persons employed in the sinking process can signal effectively from the bottom of the shaft and from any depth in the shaft to the winding engine driver and there shall also be provided in respect of each winding plant an efficient signaling arrangement for interchanging distinct and definite signals between the winding engine driver and the bank and between the winding engine driver and every established intermediate landing station below the bank. |
| 8.13.76 | At every shaft and winze, other than a shaft or winze in the course of being sunk, where persons are regularly conveyed and where the signaling arrangements are operated by electricity, the following provisions, except as provided for in other signals approved in writing by the Principal Inspector of Mines, shall be observed in respect of each winding plant used for the raising or lowering of persons. |
| 8.13.76.1 | There shall be provided and maintained in good working order, two separate, independent, and efficient signaling arrangements, hereinafter referred to as the locked-bell system and the call-bell system, which shall be used for transmitting signals. |
| 8.13.76.2 | The locked-bell system shall be for the interchange of signals between: |
| (a) | the winding engine driver and the bank; and |
| (b) | the winding engine driver and every established point below the bank from which winding is normally carried on, but it shall not enable the banksman to signal on this system to anyone but the winding engine driver. |
| 8.13.76.3 | The system shall be arranged so that the winding engine driver can easily distinguish between signals received from the bank and signals from below the bank and such a system has been approved by the responsible engineer. |
| 8.13.76.4 | The system shall further be arranged and maintained so as to prevent as far as possible, signals being given by unauthorized persons. The signal operating mechanism at the bank and at all points below the bank shall be securely enclosed in a metal casing of substantial construction and shall be kept locked when not in actual use. The key shall be removable and when not required shall be removed and retained by the banksman, onsetter or an authorised person. Without the key inserted, the bell system will be inoperable. Other locking arrangements may be used if approved by the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.76.5 | There shall be in use a device which automatically prevents the conveyance or conveyances being raised or lowered after the winding engine driver has given a signal on the circuit of the locked-bell system provided for interchanging signals with the bank or on the circuit of the locked-bell system provided for interchanging signals with the established points below the bank from which winding is normally conducted, until he has received a signal on each of the circuits on which he gave a signal. |
| 8.13.76.6 | The call-bell system shall enable signals to be transmitted: |
| (a) | to the winding engine driver from the bank; and |
| (b) | to the winding engine driver from every established point below the bank from which winding is normally conducted and shall also enable signals to be interchanged between the bank and every established point below the bank from which winding is normally conducted, but it shall not enable the winding engine driver to transmit signals on this system. |
| 8.13.76.7 | The signal operating mechanism of the call-bell system shall be accessible to any person to transmit the signal '10 followed by station signal' and 'one long ring' referred to in the standard code of signals, but it shall not be used for any other purpose, provided that the banksman or onsetter or any person duly authorised by the manager may use the system to indicate the station at which the conveyance is required and subject to the approval of the Principle Inspector of Mines to transmit special signals. |
| 8.13.76.8 | The tone of the bells of the call-bell system shall be such as to be easily distinguishable from that of the bells of the locked-bell system. |
| 8.13.76.9 | In a shaft or winze where efficient telephonic intercommunication is provided between the bank and every established landing station for persons below the bank, it shall be necessary to provide only one call-bell system in respect of all the winding plants serving such shaft or winze. |
8.13.76
| 8.13.77.1 | The standard code of signals or an abridged form thereof approved by the Principle Inspector of Mines, as well as any other approved signals that may be in use on a mine, shall be displayed suitably in the form of distinctly legible notices in letters and figures not less than 10 millimetres in height. The decision whether such notices are suitably displayed and distinctly legible shall rest with the Principle Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.77.2 | Such notices shall be posted up in the winding-engine room, at the bank and at all shaft or winze stations for the time being in use and easily readable by the operator of the signals. |
| 8.13.78 | The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that a winder used for the conveyance of persons is equipped with a device that will continuously record the signals exchanged between the winding engine driver and banksman and the winding engine driver and onsetter, and that the information recorded is kept readily available at the mine for a period of at least 30 days. |
| 8.13.79 | Any person acting in conflict with the code of signals referred to in these regulations or of any special signals used on a mine shall be guilty of an offence. |
Requirements at shafts and winzes
| 8.13.80 | Every vertical shaft and every vertical winze exceeding 30 metres in-depth and used for winding purposes shall be provided with guides for skips, cages or other conveyances unless exempted in writing by the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.81 | At any place in a shaft or winze where it is necessary for workmen to pass from one side to the other, provision shall be made for them to do so without entering or crossing a compartment in which winding is taking place; such passage shall be securely fenced off from moving parts of machinery and from any conveyance. |
| 8.13.82 | No person shall enter or cross a compartment of a shaft, winze or of a headgear in which winding is taking place, except for the purpose of entering, leaving, or having access to a cage, skip or other conveyance or for the purpose of conducting an examination, effecting repairs, or doing other necessary work in such compartment. |
| 8.13.83 | No winding operations shall be conducted in a shaft, winze, or headgear while persons are engaged in effecting repairs, conducting an examination, or doing other work in such shaft, winze, or headgear except: |
| 8.13.83.1 | where such winding operations are necessary for the purpose of effecting the repairs, conducting the examination, or doing other work; or |
| 8.13.83.2 | where persons engaged in effecting the repairs, conducting the examination or doing other work are adequately protected from the conveyances and other winding equipment used in such winding operations as well as from falling stones and falling material. |
| 8.13.83.3 | any such repairs or maintenance or inspections contemplated in these regulations shall be recorded in the applicable Winder Engine Driver's Logbook affected by such activities, and such Winder Engine Driver's Logbooks are kept for a period of at least 12 months and readily available. |
| 8.13.84 | No person shall affect repairs, conduct an examination or do other work in a shaft, winze or a headgear while winding operations are being conducted in such shaft or headgear, except: |
| 8.13.84.1 | where such a person is adequately protected from the conveyances and from other winding equipment as well as from falling stones and falling material; or |
| 8.13.84.2 | where the winding operations are necessary for such person to affect the repairs, conduct the examination or to do other work. |
| 8.13.85 | The person in immediate charge of any inspection, repair, examination, maintenance, or work in a winding compartment of a shaft, winze or a headgear or in immediate charge of any work in connection with maintenance or installation of equipment in a winding compartment of a shaft, winze or a headgear shall: |
| (a) | make an entry into the Winding Engine Driver's Logbook and such entry must be countersigned by the winding engine driver on duty. Such entry must be cleared by the person that made such entry and must be countersigned by the same person on duty, immediately after completion of such activities. |
| (b) | where it is not practicable for the person in charge to make an entry during an inspection, repair, examination, maintenance or work into the Winding Engine Driver's Logbook, the winding engine driver may make such an entry on behalf of the person in charge of such inspection, repair, examination, maintenance, or work. Such entry must be cleared by the person in charge thereof and must be countersigned by the winding engine driver on duty, immediately after completion of such activities. |
| (c) | where it is not practicable for the person in charge to clear an entry after an inspection, repair, examination, maintenance, or work made into the Winding Engine Driver's Logbook, the engineer or person appointed by the manager may clear such an entry on behalf of the person that made the entry if they are satisfied that it is safe to do so. If the engineer or a person appointed by the manager cannot clear the entry in person, the engineer or the person appointed by the manager in question may give permission for it to be done; and |
| (d) | where it is not practicable for the person in charge to make and clear an entry before and after an inspection, repair, examination, maintenance, or work made into Winding Engine Driver's Logbook, the person in charge must notify the winding engine driver to make an entry in the logbook for him/her before and after the inspection, repair, examination, maintenance, or work conducted. Such entry must be cleared by the person in charge of such activities immediately after completion of such activities and must be countersigned by the winding engine driver on duty. |
| 8.13.86 | Where winding is conducted in a shaft or winze there shall be fitted above the bank spring keeps or jack catches or some other effective contrivance to support any conveyance detached from the winding rope because of an over-wind: Provided that this requirement does not apply to a vertical shaft or winze in the course of being sunk. |
| 8.13.87 | For a winding system in a vertical shaft or winze where the end of the winding rope is fastened to the drum of the winding engine, there shall be fitted detaching hooks to detach from the winding rope any conveyance over-wound in the headgear and to support it. Such detaching hooks shall be additional to the devices required in a shaft or winze, provided that detaching hooks need not be fitted to the ropes of any winding plant in a vertical shaft or winze in the course of being sunk. |
| 8.13.88 | For a winding system in a vertical shaft or winze where the winding rope is not fastened to the drum or sheave of the winding engine: |
| 8.13.88.1 | The over-run space in the headgear above the highest established stopping place shall be provided with rigid guides or other appliances arranged so that an over-wound conveyance is retarded to minimise the risk of the conveyance coming into contact with the rope sheave or the buffer stops in the headgear; and |
| 8.13.88.2 | The over-run space at the bottom of the shaft or winze below the lowest established stopping place shall be provided with rigid guides or other appliances arranged so that an over-wound conveyance is retarded and arrested before it can come into contact with any fixed obstacle. |
| 8.13.89 | The headgear shall be carried sufficiently high to allow a clearance space that must be equal to or greater than the combined height of the conveyance in use, in which the conveyance can travel above or beyond the highest landing place for persons before it comes into contact with any fixed obstacle excluding any retarding appliance. This regulation will not apply to skips used for rock winding. |
| 8.13.90 | The shaft or winze shall be carried sufficiently deep to allow an over-run space that must be equal to or greater than the combined height of the conveyance in use, in which the conveyance can travel below or beyond the lowest landing for persons before it comes into contact with any fixed obstacle excluding any retarding appliance, provided that such over-run space need not be provided in a shaft or winze in the course of being sunk. |
8.13.91
| 8.13.91.1 | The employer must, for every station level: |
| (a) | identify and clearly demarcate an area surrounding the shaft as the shaft station; |
| (b) | show the shaft station, including the location of all safety devices on the shaft station, on a plan; and |
| (c) | prominently and conspicuously display a copy of such plan at every shaft station. |
| 8.13.91.2 | The employer must install a device or combination of devices that prevent inadvertent access of vehicles to the shaft as close as practicable to all entrances to the shaft. |
| 8.13.91.3 | The device or combination of devices must be: |
| (a) | fail-safe or lockable. |
| (b) | equipped with mechanisms that prevent their unauthorised operation; |
| (c) | operated only under the direct supervision of a competent person appointed by the engineer or by the person appointed by the manager; |
| (d) | operated only if a conveyance is being used for the loading or unloading of equipment, material, minerals, or explosives at that entrance to the shaft; and |
| (e) | operated only in closed positions if a conveyance is being used for the loading or unloading of persons at that entrance to the shaft. |
| 8.13.91.4 | The employer must install a station stop block device or combination of devices which ensure that any self-propelled mobile machine or combination of vehicles entering the shaft inadvertently. |
| 8.13.91.5 | The employer must ensure that procedures are in place, or that the device or combination of devices are equipped with mechanisms that prevent the unauthorised operation or removal of such device or combination of devices. |
| 8.13.91.6 | The engineer or person appointed by the manager must approve any access configuration and must with regard to the device or combination of devices used for the purposes of these regulations: |
| (a) | approve the design of every such device; and |
| (b) | ensure that every such device is installed and maintained in good working order. |
| 8.13.92 | No self-propelled mobile machine may be parked in the shaft station. |
| 8.13.93 | A self-propelled mobile machine may only enter the shaft station under power if it is under the direct supervision of a competent person appointed by the engineer or the person appointed by the manager. |
Requirements for loading of winding plant conveyances
| 8.13.94 | No person shall travel in a conveyance operated by a winding engine if such conveyance is loaded or partially loaded with minerals, and no person shall travel in a conveyance operated by a winding engine that is being used simultaneously for the winding of minerals, provided that, if authorised by the manager or a person appointed by the manager, persons engaged in sinking operations in a vertical shaft or winze may descend such shaft or winze in a conveyance operated by a winding engine that is being used simultaneously for the raising of mineral. |
| 8.13.95 | No person shall travel— |
| (a) | with material or explosives in a conveyance operated by a winding engine; and |
| (b) | in a conveyance operated by a winding engine that is being used simultaneously for the winding of material or explosives. |
| 8.13.96 | Subject to the provisions of the regulation dealing with authorization for persons to travel with material in the conveyance: |
| (a) | the manager, engineer or a person appointed by the manager may grant permission in writing for persons to travel with material if such material is not likely to endanger persons travelling in the conveyance; and |
| (b) | the manager shall: |
| (i) | cause a list to be kept of the material which is regularly conveyed in the shaft or winze for which permission has been granted in terms of paragraph (a); |
| (ii) | ensure that all persons authorised to give signals for the raising and lowering of persons are conversant with the material mentioned in the list; |
| (iii) | make a copy of the list readily available to all persons concerned; and |
| (iv) | ensure that all persons authorized to carry such material must carry such suitable bag or enclosure to be approved by the engineer in charge. |
| 8.13.97 | The manager, engineer or a person appointed by the manager may authorise the following persons to travel in a shaft or winze with material or explosives prohibited in terms of these regulations if such travelling is necessary for the efficient carrying out of their duties: |
| 8.13.97.1 | Onsetters and their gangs; |
| 8.13.97.2 | Persons engaged in sinking operations or in conducting an examination, effecting repairs, or doing other work in the shaft or winze; and |
| 8.13.97.3 | Persons required to ensure the safe passage through the shaft or winze of material which cannot be conveyed inside a conveyance. |
| 8.13.98 | No person shall place explosives in or remove them from a conveyance operated by a winding engine except under the immediate supervision of the banksman, onsetter or a competent person authorised thereto by the manager, or a person appointed by the manager. |
| 8.13.99 | No person shall ride in any shaft or winze on the roof, top, side, bow, rim, bridle or frame of or in any position outside a conveyance operated by a winding engine, except for persons engaged in examining or repairing the shaft or winze or doing other work in the shaft or winze may ride on the roof of such conveyance or on a special platform if authorised to do so by the manager or mine overseer and if such riding on the roof of such conveyance or on the special platform is necessary for the efficient carrying out of such examination, repairs, or other work. |
| 8.13.100 | Persons shall not be raised or lowered in a conveyance attached to the normal conveyance except when permitted in writing by the Principal Inspector of Mines. |
| 8.13.101 | No bucket or other means of conveyance that can sway shall be allowed to leave the top or bottom of the shaft or winze unless the workman in charge thereof has steadied it or caused it to be steadied. |
| 8.13.102 | No bucket or other means of conveyance shall be filled with loose rock or ground above the level of the brim. |
| 8.13.103 | Tools or other material which project above the top of the cage, skip, bucket, kibble or other means of conveyance, and which are raised or lowered in a shaft or winze shall be fastened securely in such a manner that the operation of any arresting device or detaching hook is not affected. |
Notices required at winding plants
| 8.13.104 | Where a winding plant is used the following shall be kept posted up: |
| 8.13.104.1 | At each winding engine: |
| (a) | a copy of the prescribed permit issued in terms of the Act; |
| (b) | the code of signals and any special signals; |
| (c) | a copy of a notice shall be placed regarding persons not to speak to or distract the attention of the person operating a winding engine while it is in motion; and |
| (d) | a copy of a notice shall be placed regarding a person operating a winding engine while it is in motion not to be involved in distracting or be distracted by any person. |
| 8.13.104.2 | At each bank, station or landing platform: |
| (a) | a notice showing clearly the maximum number of persons permitted to ride in each conveyance, or a notice prohibiting the conveyance of persons where it is not allowed in terms of the prescribed permit issued under the Act; |
| (b) | the code of signals and any special signals; |
| (c) | a notice showing clearly the use of full body safety harness to be used when working near open shafts gas;and |
| (d) | a notice showing items that are prohibited to be carried or taken into the underground workings. |
Requirements for Winding-engine drivers
| 8.13.105 | Nobody shall drive or be caused to drive or permitted to drive a winding plant, for which a prescribed permit has been issued unless he is a certificated winding engine driver, provided that a learner winding engine driver may drive such a winding plant under the direct supervision of a certificated winding engine driver while no persons are being conveyed. |
| 8.13.106 | Upon engaging a winding engine driver, who is required in terms of this regulation to be the holder of a certificate, the manager shall record or cause to be recorded the number and type of such certificate, provided that if such winding engine driver has not driven a winding engine for the preceding two years or more, the manager shall not engage him, but shall require such winding-engine driver to undergo a medical examination with a full psychometric evaluation , refresher training and re-examined in accordance with these regulations. |
| 8.13.107 | No person shall speak to or, in any way, distract the attention of the person operating a winding engine while it is in motion, except an authorised person required to conduct such activities in the winding engine. |
| 8.13.108 | The driver of a winding engine: |
| 8.13.108.1 | shall not start his engine before he has received a distinct and proper signal to do so, unless he has been instructed in writing to do so by the manager, or by a person appointed by the manager, as the case may be, or unless he has received the 'clear signal' 2 pause 2, or unless he has sole control of the cage, skip or other means of conveyance; |
| 8.13.108.2 | shall not act on any signal if he has been unable to do so within one minute after receiving it but shall request a repeat signal: by ringing 2 pause 2 pause 2 pause 2, provided that after having received the 'clear signal' he may move at his discretion, but when a period of more than five minutes has lapsed after he has received such 'clear signal' he shall move the conveyance slowly; |
| 8.13.108.3 | shall not run such engine at a greater speed than that fixed by the Principal Inspector of Mines; |
| 8.13.108.4 | shall, except in the case of emergency, avoid shocks in starting, in running and in stopping the said engine; |
| 8.13.108.5 | shall correctly apply every device and means at his or her disposal to prevent the conveyance over-running: |
| (a) | the signaled destination; or |
| (b) | when the destination is not signaled, the highest or lowest landing place when persons are being conveyed and the highest or lowest established stopping place when persons are not being conveyed to an extent which may endanger the safety of persons or may cause damage to the winding equipment. |
| 8.13.108.6 | shall apply correctly every device and means at his disposal to prevent the conveyance moving in a direction opposite to that signaled; |
| 8.13.108.7 | shall not start the engine until the expiry of at least 10 seconds after receiving a signal to raise or lower persons, provided that this requirement shall not apply when blasting is about to take place in a shaft or winze in the course of being sunk; |
| 8.13.108.8 | shall not act in response to any signal on the call-bell system other than the one long ring referred to in these regulations. |
| 8.13.108.9 | shall not unclutch a drum of the engine until the driver has assured themselves immediately beforehand by testing the brake of the drum against sufficient holding power of the engine, that the brake is in proper condition to hold the load suspended from said drum; |
| 8.13.108.10 | shall when such engine is fitted with a friction clutch, test the holding power of the clutch after engaging the clutch and before releasing the brake of the corresponding drum. For a steam engine or an air engine the test shall be made against the full power of the engine, and for an electric engine against the normal starting current, while the brake of the other drum is kept off; |
| 8.13.108.11 | shall not perform clutching operations whilst persons are in either of the conveyances operated by his or her engine, provided; |
| (a) | clutching may be performed on a sinking platform while the minimum number of persons are on the platform to ensure that the clutching operations are correctly conducted; and |
| (b) | clutching may be performed on an equipped shaft in case of emergency under the instructions of an engineer after said engineer has satisfied themselves that it is safe to do so. |
| 8.13.108.12 | shall not, unless he intends operating the winding engine on single drum during shaft examination, shaft repairs or shaft sinking operations, give the signal that clutching operations are completed until he has engaged the clutch and has securely locked it and where applicable has carried out the test prescribed in these regulations. |
| 8.13.108.13 | shall not work or be permitted to work a shift on the winding engine longer than 10 hours, except where permission has been obtained from the Principal Inspector of Mines and under such conditions directed by the Principal Inspector of Mines; |
| 8.13.108.14 | shall take all reasonable measures to safeguard persons being conveyed and to avoid any unnecessary delays in conveying such persons. |
| 8.13.108.15 | shall take a 20-minute drivers break as near in the middle of the shift as possible. Provided where a Principal Inspector of Mines has granted permission for working longer than the prescribed 10 hours shift, the driver's break interval shall be increased by 10 minutes for each additional hour permitted. |
| 8.13.108.16 | shall take breaks at intervals specified in the mine operating shaft schedule. |
Banksmen and Onsetters
| 8.13.109 | No unauthorised person shall give any signal other than an accident signal or shall in any manner whatsoever interfere with the signaling arrangement provided for winding operations. |
| 8.13.110 | No person shall be permitted to carry out the duties of a banksman or onsetter unless he is the holder of an onsetter's certificate issued in accordance with these regulations. Every appointment of a banksman or onsetter shall be made in writing by the manager. |
| 8.13.111 | If upon engaging a bankman or an onsetter, who is required in terms of this regulation to be the holder of a certificate and such a bankman or onsetter has not performed such appointed duties for the preceding two years or more, the manager shall not engage such banksman or onsetter, but shall require such banksman or onsetter to undergo a medical examination, refresher training and a proficiency examination conducted by an appointed engineer or his delegate. |
8.13.112
| 8.13.112.1 | No person, other than the banksman or onsetter on duty, shall give or shall be caused or permitted to give any signals for the raising or lowering of persons provided that: |
| (a) | when the banksman or onsetter is not available, a competent person to whom the manager has given written permission to do so may give signals for the conveyance of himself and of any person travelling with them; |
| (b) | the ganger or miner in charge at the bottom of a shaft or winze in the course of being sunk or a person acting under their immediate supervision may give a signal to raise persons; and |
| (c) | any person duly authorised in writing by the manager or mine overseer may give signal for the conveyance of persons between the main mineral loading station at the bottom of a vertical or inclined shaft and the lowest landing station for persons. |
The Principal Inspector of Mines shall be furnished on demand with a list of the persons to whom permission has been granted in terms of paragraph (a) above and may order its revision.
| 8.13.112.2 | No person other than the banksman or onsetter on duty shall give any signal for the raising or lowering of material or mineral unless duly authorised by the manager or mine overseer or engineer. Where the winding plant is also used for the conveyance of persons, such authorisation shall be in writing. |
| 8.13.113 | No person shall be appointed as a banksman or onsetter, nor shall any person be authorised to give signals, unless such person has sufficient knowledge of the shaft operations and of the signals to be given in connection with such operations. |
| 8.13.114 | The banksman, onsetter or other person authorised to give signals for winding operations: |
| 8.13.114.1 | shall not, after the winding engine driver has signaled that persons may enter the conveyance for the purpose of travelling or that persons in the conveyance may continue to travel, give any signal on the signaling arrangements for that winding compartment until all persons are properly placed in the conveyance and the doors or gates of the conveyance and the gates or barriers at the bank, station or landing platform are properly shut, provided that when the banksman, onsetter or other person authorised to give signals intends to travel, such doors, gates or barriers as will prevent his entrance to the conveyance may be left open until he or she has given the signal to raise or lower and has entered the conveyance; |
| 8.13.114.2 | shall not, when the conveyance containing persons is brought to rest in the proper position at the bank, station or landing platform and the winding engine driver has signaled that persons may leave the conveyance, give any signal on the signaling arrangements for that winding compartment until all persons who are to leave the conveyance are out and clear of it, Provided that in the event of an accident to shaft or person the 1 long ring and signal (10) is allowed to be given. |
| 8.13.114.3 | shall ensure that the roof, cover or hood, required to be provided in terms of these regulations, is properly in position before persons are raised or lowered in or on such conveyance. |
| 8.13.114.4 | shall take all reasonable measures to prevent persons from having unauthorised access to the conveyance and to the winding compartments; |
| 8.13.114.5 | shall not allow any person to travel in a conveyance operated by a winding engine if such conveyance contains minerals and, except as provided for in these regulations, shall not allow any person to travel in a conveyance operated by a winding engine that is being used simultaneously for the winding of minerals; |
| 8.13.114.6 | shall not, except as provided for in these regulations, allow any person to travel in a conveyance operated by a winding engine that is being used simultaneously for the winding of material; |
| 8.13.114.7 | shall not, except as provided for in these regulations, allow any person to ride on the roof, top, side, bow, rim, bridle or frame of or in any position outside a conveyance operated by a winding engine; |
| 8.13.114.8 | shall acquaint himself with the maximum number of persons authorised by the Principal Inspector of Mines to travel at any one time in the cage and on each deck of the cage, or in the skip or other means of conveyance and shall not allow such maximum to be exceeded; |
| 8.13.114.9 | shall not allow any unauthorised person to give signals on the signaling arrangements used in connection with winding operations; |
| 8.13.114.10 | shall not give the 'clear signal' 2 pause 2 or any signal to raise or lower the conveyance unless all persons at the bank, station, landing platform, loading box or other place where he is in charge, are in a position in which they will not be endangered by the movement of such conveyance or any other conveyance operated by the same winding engine; |
| 8.13.114.11 | shall not give a signal to clutch unless all persons are out of and clear of the conveyance or conveyances operated by the winding engine; |
| 8.13.114.12 | shall not cause or permit any person to enter or to have access to the conveyance or conveyances until he or she has received a signal from the winding engine driver that clutching operations are completed; and |
| 8.13.114.13 | shall take all reasonable measures to safeguard against accidents to all persons at the place where he is in charge, whether such persons are under his direct supervision or not. |
Winding plant record and Logbooks
| 8.13.115 | The manager must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that a recoverable recordable system is established and maintained at the mine for the winding system and shaft system and in which the following information is captured: |
| 8.13.115.1 | details of all maintenance, repairs, testing, inspections and examinations of the winding system and shaft system and of the findings, which must be captured by the competent person who undertook the maintenance, repairs, inspections or examinations within 24 hours from completion of such maintenance, repairs, inspections or examinations; |
| 8.13.115.2 | all rope manufacturing and modification details, as well as dates of installation, modifications, and removal for each winding rope, which must be captured by the competent person within 24 hours after installation, and which information must include at least the following: |
| (a) | Name of manufacturer; |
| (b) | Date of manufacture; |
| (c) | Coil number; |
| (d) | Length in metres; |
| (e) | Mass per metre in kilograms; |
| (f) | Diameter in millimetres, Width and thickness in millimetres; |
| (g) | Construction of rope: |
| (i) | type and length of lay; |
| (ii) | number of strands; |
| (iii) | class of heart; |
| (iv) | type of lubricant; |
| (h) | Construction of strands: |
| (i) | number of wires; |
| (ii) | diameter of wires in millimetres; |
| (iii) | Class of core; |
| (iv) | Class of steel in wires (galvanised or not); |
| (v) | Tensile strength of steel in Megapascals; (vi). Breaking force in kilo Newtons; |
| (vii) | Rope test certificate number and place of test; |
| (i) | whether used for winding or balance purposes: |
| (i) | Name and type of shaft; |
| (ii) | Name of compartment; |
| (iii) | Winding plant licence (certificate) number. |
| 8.13.115.3 | All dates of installation, modification and removal of the winding rope attachments, which must be captured by the competent person within 24 hours after installation, modification or removal, as the case may be; |
| 8.13.115.4 | The current condition of the winder and signaling arrangements, which must be captured by the competent person (winding engine driver) before commencing their shift or before taking over from another winding engine driver; and |
| 8.13.115.5 | Any unsafe conditions or events that occur during the full period of control of a winder, which must be captured by the competent person (winding engine driver) upon occurrence of such event. |
| 8.13.116 | The manager must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the persons appointed: |
| 8.13.116.1 | scrutinise all entries made in the recoverable recordable system within 7 days of entry; |
| 8.13.116.2 | determine any required measures to be taken; |
| 8.13.116.3 | ensure that such measures are implemented; |
| 8.13.116.4 | record all the activities required by this regulation in the recoverable recordable system; and |
| 8.13.116.5 | if the system is electronic, it must be approved by the Principal Inspector of Mines, before it is put to use. |
| 8.13.123 | No person shall ride in any shaft or winze on the roof, top, side, bow, rim, bridle or frame of or in any position outside a conveyance operated by a winding engine, nevertheless persons engaged in examining or repairing the shaft or winze or doing other work in the shaft or winze may ride on the roof of such conveyance or on a special platform if authorised to do so by the manager or mine overseer and if such riding on the roof of such conveyance or on the special platform is necessary for the efficient carrying out of such examination, repairs or other work. |
| 8.13.124 | Persons shall not, except when permitted in writing by the Principal Inspector of Mines, be raised or lowered in a conveyance attached to the normal conveyance. |
| 8.13.125 | No bucket or other means of conveyance that can sway shall be allowed to leave the top or bottom of the shaft or winze unless the workman in charge thereof has steadied it or caused it to be steadied. |
| 8.13.126 | No bucket or other means of conveyance shall be filled with loose rock or ground above the level of the brim. |
| 8.13.127 | Tools or other material which project above the top of the cage, skip, bucket, kibble or other means of conveyance, and which are raised or lowered in a shaft or winze shall be fastened securely in such a manner that the operation of any arresting device is not affected. |
Care must be exercised in cases where a detaching hook is attached to the end of the winding rope that the material does not project above the detaching hook or interfere with it in any way whatsoever.
Trial run of winding plant
| 8.13.128 | When winding in any compartment or compartments of a shaft, winze or headgear has been stopped for repairs or blasting operations or when it has been stopped for any other purpose for a period exceeding one hour in duration or when a conveyance has been changed, the winding engine serving such compartment or compartments shall not be used for the raising or lowering of persons until the cage, skip or other means of conveyance has been run at least one complete trip up and down such compartment or compartments, provided that this regulation shall not apply to the use of the winding engine for the raising or lowering of persons conducting an examination or effecting repairs; and provided further that where such stoppage is confined to a portion of any compartment or compartments , the requirements of this regulation shall only apply to such portion. |
Requirements for the examination of winding plant and shaft
| 8.13.129 | The manager or subordinate manager and an appointed engineer or appointed competent person, as the case may be shall, in respect of his area of responsibility, appoint in writing competent persons whose duty it shall be to examine carefully, to an extent to be clearly defined in their respective letters of appointment, at least once in each week ,at intervals not exceeding 10 days, the guides or rails and the shaft compartments and equipment, including the doors, gates and barriers and ancillary equipment at stations, loading platforms and loading boxes. |
| 8.13.130 | An appointed engineer or appointed competent person, shall appoint in writing, competent person, or persons whose duty it shall be to examine carefully: |
| 8.13.130.1 | at least once in each day the winding ropes, the balance ropes or tail ropes, the connection of the winding ropes to the drum, the connections referred to in these, the conveyances and the main members by which they are suspended and any safety catches attached thereto, the pulley wheels or sheaves, the brakes, the depth indicators, the safety devices and all external parts of the winding equipment upon the proper working of which the safety of persons depends, provided that these examinations will not be necessary on any day mentioned in section 9(1) of the Mines and Works Act if the winding plant makes less than 50 winding cycles during such day; |
| 8.13.130.2 | at least once in each day during the changeover of loading activities, conduct a thorough examination of the safety devices, dolly wheels and the attachments thereto for a winding plant or conveyance that is responsible for the conveyance of persons and minerals; |
| 8.13.130.3 | at least once in each day after a daily examination, artisans responsible for such winder examinations, to do a full trip trial run, inside the conveyances to verify and record that the winding conveyance is in a good state of use by other persons; and |
| 8.13.130.4 | at least once in each week the signaling arrangements and the safety devices used in connection therewith. |
| 8.13.131 | An appointed engineer or an appointed competent person, shall examine carefully: |
| 8.13.131.1 | at least once in each week, and at intervals not exceeding 10 days, the over-speed and over-wind prevention devices and the external parts of the winding engine; |
| 8.13.131.2 | at least once in each week, and at intervals not exceeding 14 days, the integral structures joining the shaft infrastructure and the conveyor belt installations; |
| 8.13.131.3 | at least once in each year the winding engine as to the condition of the internal mechanical parts and, as far as reasonably practicable, the internal electrical parts; |
| 8.13.131.4 | at least once in each calendar month at intervals not exceeding 45 days, the structure of the winding rope and the balance rope or tail rope, with the aim ascertaining the amount of deterioration thereof. For the purpose of this examination the rope shall be cleaned at a place selected by the person making the examination who shall note any reduction in the circumference of the rope, any variation in the length of the rope, the superficial condition of the wires as to wear, corrosion, fractures and brittleness, and all other data necessary for ascertaining the amount. extent, and distribution of the deterioration of the rope. If the examination discloses features such as undue or rapid wear or fractures of the wires, which, although not constituting sufficient reason for condemning the rope, call for more than usual attention, the examination required under this paragraph shall be made more frequently; |
| 8.13.131.5 | at least once in each calendar month at intervals not exceeding 45 days the connections between the winding rope and the drum, the connections referred to in these regulations and the sheave wheel or wheels; |
| 8.13.131.6 | after every accident or occurrence referred to in a chapter of the regulations and before winding operations are resumed, all portions of the winding equipment affected by such accident or occurrence on which the safety of persons depends; and |
| 8.13.131.7 | by dynamically testing the automatic over-wind and over-speed prevention devices at least once in every six months, at intervals not exceeding 200 days. |
| 8.13.132 | In the case of connections referred to in these regulations being of a class of steel approved by the Chief Inspector of Mines, such connections and their component parts shall be dismantled, cleaned, and then examined by an appointed engineer or an appointed competent person, at intervals not exceeding 12 months. |
| 8.13.133 | If on any examination required in terms of these regulations there is discovered any weakness or defect which may endanger the safety of persons, and such weakness or defect cannot be remedied immediately, the person making the discovery shall report such weakness or defect to the manager without delay. Until such weakness or defect is remedied, the winding plant shall not be used except in so far as may be necessary to remedy such weakness or defect. |
Access to conveyance
| 8.13.134 | No person shall enter the conveyance at the bottom of the shaft until the conveyance has been raised and lowered or until some other distinct signal has been received from the winding engine driver. |
| 8.13.135 | The banksman or onsetter shall not allow any person to enter the conveyance decking platform at any level until the conveyance is stationary and secured at that level or until some distinct signal has been received from the winding engine driver by the onsetter or banksman to indicate that it is safe to do so. |
| 8.13.136 | The person in charge of blasting operations shall notify the winding engine driver by a special signal, namely five knocks or rings, when blasting is about to take place, and, except in the case of firing by electricity, the driver shall reply by raising or lowering the conveyance approximately two metres. |
Small winding plants
| 8.13.137 | The prescribed permit shall not be required for a winding plant that is driven by an engine or motor developing not more than 250 kilowatts, provided that such winding plant: |
| (a) | is not used for the raising or lowering of persons other than persons engaged in repairing or examining a shaft; and |
| (b) | does not operate in any portion of a shaft or winze in any manner likely to interfere with the conveyance operated in that shaft served by a winding plant for which a prescribed permit has been granted. |
8.13.138
| 8.13.138.1 | A small winding plant, referred to in these regulations, shall not be subject to the provisions of the other winding regulations: Provided that the manager, or the appointed subordinate manager shall appoint in writing any competent person to carry out the duties and examinations prescribed in these regulations and provided further that the engineer, or the appointed subordinate engineer shall appoint in writing any competent person to examine at least once each week the item specified in these regulations. |
| 8.13.138.2 | Notwithstanding the provisions of these regulations, a record book or card index system may be provided in place of the machinery record book. |
| 8.13.138.3 | Notwithstanding the provisions of these regulations, a winding rope may not be used for a winding plant contemplated in these regulations unless: |
| (a) | its breaking strength, determined by a test on a representative sample as prescribed in these regulations, is at least 10 times the attached load; and |
| (b) | that part of the winding rope attached to the conveyance or counterweight is cut off and re-terminated at intervals not exceeding six months. |
| 8.13.139 | The engineer or appointed subordinate engineer shall satisfy himself that any person who is not a certificated winding engine driver, and who shall drive a small winding engine not permitted for the conveyance of persons is competent to do so. |
[Regulation 8.13 inserted by section 1 of Notice No. 6054, GG52388, dated 28 March 2025]
[Chapter 8 inserted by Government Notice R 1579 dated 13 December 2002]