Regulatory Requirements
Below are the principal requirements mines must comply with regarding noise.
Key Requirements Under the Regulations
The Mine Health and Safety Act, together with occupational hygiene and medical surveillance requirements, places clear duties on employers to identify, assess, monitor and control occupational noise exposure in the workplace.
Exposure Limits (OELs)
Requirement:
Employers must ensure that employee noise exposure does not exceed the occupational exposure limit of an 8-hour time-weighted average noise level of 85 dB(A).
Peak sound pressure levels must also be controlled and must not exceed prescribed maximum limits.
Monitoring and Hygiene Measurements
Requirement:
Employers must establish and maintain a system of occupational hygiene measurements at working places where noise may pose a hazard, including area noise monitoring, prediction and exposure assessment.
Monitoring results must be recorded, reviewed and used to support risk control and compliance.
Noise Zones
Requirement:
Areas where noise levels exceed prescribed limits must be identified and demarcated as noise zones, with appropriate signage, access control and hearing protection requirements.
Entry into these areas must be managed to reduce unnecessary exposure.
Medical and Audiometric Surveillance
Requirement:
Where employee exposure is equal to or above the action level, employers must implement medical surveillance, including baseline, periodic and exit audiometric testing.
This supports early detection of hearing threshold shifts and management of occupational hearing risk.
Risk Assessment and Control Measures
Requirement:
Employers must conduct qualitative and quantitative risk assessments and apply the hierarchy of controls, giving preference to elimination and engineering controls before administrative measures and personal protective equipment.
Control measures must be reviewed regularly to ensure their effectiveness.
Reporting, Training and Employee Participation
Requirement:
Employers must report occupational hearing loss where required, provide training and awareness on noise hazards, and ensure employee participation in hearing conservation and Code of Practice processes.
Employees must be informed of the risks, controls and correct use of hearing protection devices.