On 28 March 2025, the amendments to chapter 8 of the regulations to the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), dealing with machinery and equipment at mines were promulgated. These amendments repeal and replace the Minerals Act regulations dealing with winders and winding equipment. A copy of the complete gazette and new regulations can be found
here.
These amendments introduce revised guidelines and requirements for the design, operation, and maintenance of winding systems, as well as for the training and competency standards of personnel involved in these operations and are an addition to the current chapter 8 of the MHSA regulations. Whilst the amendments largely reflect the provisions which were previously applicable under the Minerals Act regulations, there are some notable new inclusions. These include:
- New definitions relating to winding equipment and operations and definitions for key roles held, such as banksman and onsetters.
- Permitting requirements for winding plant operations.
- Additional technical standards and considerations for design, braking, safety devices (including deceleration limits) and clutch mechanism and the use of recoverable recording systems to recover all incidents.
- Emergency systems and emergency extraction for shafts (which supplement the general obligations expected as part of general emergency preparedness).
- Development of additional safety protocols for slack or tight winding rope and in respect of automatic and semi-automatic winding operations. Notably, new regulation 8.13.31 bans the operation in automatic mode when transporting people.
- Additional detail on mandatory brake testing, load testing and device maintenance.
With new obligations and technical standards now in effect, the onus is on employers to review and update their safety protocols. Early implementation will be key to reducing liability and operational risk.
