Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996)Notices, Guidance Notes, Compilation GuidelinesGuidance Note for the Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Disorders in the South African Mining IndustryPart A: The Guidance Note8. Risk management |
| 8.1 | In view of multiple factors that may result in the development of NCDs and mental health disorders, it is advisable that the employer conducts a workplace risk assessment to identify risk factors and identify high risk employees or those vulnerable to the risk factors. |
| 8.2 | The employer is also expected to empower employees with NCDs and mental health literacy, to be able to identify and manage personal risk factors that may predispose it to developing NCDs and mental health disorders. |
| 8.3 | The employer to put systems in place to enhance and promote a workplace culture of safe declaration if an employee has identified a possible risk factor(s), if they have been diagnosed with metabolic risk factors of NCDs, an NCD or mental health disorder. This is to assist in providing mechanisms for dealing with NCDs and mental health disorders or its associated risk factors. |
| 8.4 | The employer to identify employees diagnosed with NCDs or mental health disorders, whose health and safety is at risk by virtue of their nature of work. |
| 8.5 | To assist the employer with the risk assessment, all reasonable available information such as employees’ statistics on NCDs and mental health disorders, research reports, occupational hygiene exposure trends, records of absenteeism, sick leave, medical incapacity reports, information from the system of medical surveillance and statistics on natural deaths should be obtained and considered. |
| 8.6 | The risk assessment is to be reviewed annually and updated as and when the need arises. In the review, the following should be considered: |
| 8.6.1 | Changes in the prevalence and disease burden of NCDs and mental health disorder cases at the mine. |
| 8.6.2 | Changes in work such as the introduction of hybrid working arrangements which may affect the level of physical activity, diet, stress due to isolation, etc. |
| 8.6.3 | Mine disasters that could impact the mental health of employees. |
| 8.6.4 | Major changes in the industry that may affect employees such as retrenchments, mergers, acquisitions, health outbreaks, etc. |
| 8.6.5 | National and global targets or any other reason that may warrant a review. |