At the Mine Health and Safety Summit of 2003, the tripartite stakeholders in mining agreed to targets and milestones, which are aimed at addressing the major health and safety concerns of the sector.
The milestones are considered to be intermediate steps to achieving targets of zero fatalities and injuries, silicosis elimination and the elimination of noise-induced hearing loss.
The Mine Health and Safety Act requires that the employer establishes and maintains a system of occupational hygiene measurements in all working places where the noise rating is at or above 82dB LAeq,8h.
As indicated earlier, the employer under the Occupational Health and Safety Act is responsible for implementing a Hearing Conservation Programme.
The employer under the requirements of the Mine Health and Safety Act, should implement an Occupational Health Programme on Hearing Conservation and has a requirement for conducting Personal Noise Exposure Monitoring and report back on the findings on a quarterly basis to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on Personal Noise Exposure.
Any exposures at or above 85 dB LAeq,8h, and/or Peak Sound Level > 135 dBA requires the employer to implement a formal Hearing Conservation Programme.
It is important to note that these requirements under the OHS and MHS Acts are applicable to fixed as well as mobile working places.
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