The Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as the Mine Health and Safety Act requires that the exposure levels of employees to noise in their working environment be determined and reported on should the exposure levels exceed the prescribed noise rating limits and that mitigating measures be implemented to reduce such high noise levels.
Human vibration is the assessment of vibration present in the working environment and how the human body is affected by vibrating tools, equipment, working stations and vehicles.
The risk of exposure is determined by the intensity, frequency and time of exposure and the impact that vibration has on the human body causes various symptoms and disorders.
Thermal conditions in Southern Africa are of such a nature that heatstroke and heat stress is the biggest concern and can be classified as a substantial risk to the health and safety of employees in their working environment.
Cold stress conditions are limited to mechanical environments (cold rooms, freezer rooms, etc.) and in areas where the winter temperatures regularly fall below zero.
The monitoring of thermal stressors in the working environment is prescribed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and no employer shall require or permit an employee to work in thermal conditions (heat and cold) that exceeds the allowable exposure limits without implementing reasonable measures to protect such employee against thermal extremes and takes all precautions necessary for the safety of such an employee.
The Mine Health and Safety Act requires that the employer establishes and maintains a system of occupational hygiene measurements where the prescribed exposure limits are exceeded for thermal stressors (heat and cold).
Artificial lighting sources have become a major source of luminance in today’s working environment where the majority of workspaces are on the inside of buildings (factories, offices, operating theatres, etc.) and the utilisation of natural illuminance as the main source of light is limited.
Although architects these days realise the importance of applying green building designs due to the high cost of electricity and the current social expectations from the general public to reduce the use of light sources that have a high energy consumption, there are certain legal requirements that the employer must comply to when making use of artificial light sources as the main source of illuminance as well as emergency lighting for evacuation purposes.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act stipulates the minimum average illuminance levels that should be maintained in the working environment and the Mine Health and Safety Act stipulates that the employer is responsible for maintaining sufficient illumination levels in the working environment.
Although the Mine Health and Safety Act does not stipulate the required illumination levels that must be maintained in the working environment, the table of illuminance values contained in the Occupational Health and Safety Act is adopted as an industry best practice guideline for compliance.
Non-Ionising Radiation (NIR) describes two areas of the electromagnetic spectrum, the first is optical radiation (ultraviolet, visible and infrared) followed by electromagnetic fields (EMF’s: power frequencies, microwaves and radio frequencies).
NIR is found in various working environments and can have adverse health effects on employees being exposed to welding, heating, cutting, lasers and wireless communication sources.
The health risks associated with exposure to NIR includes skin burns, cataracts, melanoma, central nervous system, deep organ and tissue heating and damage.
It is common knowledge that exposure to EMF can result in an increase in adverse health effects, but it must be noted that these cases are not widespread and should not be a problem to the general workforce.
Ionising Radiation means radiation that can pass through matter and cause it to become electrically charged (ionised). Ions produced by radiation can negatively impact the living cells in the human body. Ionisation is a sign of radiation produced when radioactive elements decay. Due to its intensity, it can remove the electrons from atoms in matter and therein lies the risk to human health.
Ionizing Radiation is in general harmful to human health and potentially lethal to living organisms but does have some health benefits through radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.
The main benefit to human health, of ionising radiation, is in the treatment of cancerous growths through radiation therapy that can stop the growth of tumours.
Controlled doses are used for medical imaging and radiotherapy but prolonged or repeated exposure to ionising radiation can result in adverse health effects.
High amounts of ionising radiation exposure can result in genetic defects, cancers or tumours and even death.
Low levels of uranium are contained in the mineral deposits mined by some mines and the National Nuclear Regulator monitors and inspect the performance standards, conditions and procedures related to the processing of ore and tailing deposits at tailings dams to ensure that no exposure is present.
Assessing the risk of exposures to ionising radiation is covered under the general duties of an employer to assess risk in the working environment as prescribed under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and should be incorporated into an Occupational Hygiene Monitoring Programme.
Ergonomics plays an integral part in today’s working environment and the interaction of employees with their working environment. Employees have to overcome the compatibility challenges faced by design, implementation or integration of work positions and environments that have a negative impact on their health and safety.
Various pieces of legislation refer to ergonomic standards and requirements placed on any person that designs, manufactures, erects or installs any article to take ergonomic principals into consideration.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within a working environment and focuses primarily on the office environment.
Indoor Air Quality (Sick Building Syndrome) can be affected by numerous physical stressors (lighting, noise, thermal discomfort, etc.), chemical stressors (gases: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, volatile organic compounds and dust particulates: asbestos) and biological stressors and includes the monitoring of microbial contaminants (mould, bacteria, etc.).text
Central ventilation systems are mainly used in the indoor office environment to provide fresh air and remove, through filtration and dilution, any contaminated air within the working environment.
Local extraction ventilation systems (dust extraction plants, fume cupboards, etc.) are one of the key engineering control measures that is implemented to remove contaminants from the working area.
Ventilation plays an integral part in the supply of fresh air to a working environment.
Ventilation in the working environment is discussed under the sections for Indoor Air Quality and Local Extraction Ventilation and in this section the primary focus will be on Mine Ventilation Systems.
The mining environment poses unique challenges to the health and safety of workers and underground ventilation plays an integral part in the control of these hazards.
Underground mine ventilation supplies a constant flow of air through the mine and is utilised to provide fresh air for breathing purposes, but also for the dilution and removal of dust, diesel exhaust fumes, ionising radiation, gases and heat that is created during the underground mining activities.
InDuna Risk Management can assist with the planning, implementing and managing the underground ventilation requirements of the mine ventilation systems.
Planning of the underground ventilation system requires that the short-term and long-term planning phases take into consideration the mine design and mining methods to ensure that the underground working environment is free from risk to employees and that the future ventilation requirements for any developments can be accommodated, thereby reducing the risk that production increases can be hampered due to the lack of sufficient underground ventilation supply.
The implementation of the ventilation design is facilitated through a hands-on approach with active participation from the ventilation specialist in the day-to-day development of the mine by providing guidance to the development team in matters related to the ventilation requirements of the project.
Once the planning and implementation phases of the project has reached completion, the day-to-day management of the ventilation system is maintained by a team of on-site ventilation specialists that monitor the underground mining conditions through regular assessments and by introducing changes in the underground ventilation system based on additional planning to ensure optimal utilisation of the available ventilated air, and ultimately implementing expansions based on the long-term planning requirements identified during the initial phase of the mining project.
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