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Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996)

Regulations

Guideline for a Mandatory Code of Practice

Risk-based Fatigue Management at Mines

Annexures

Annexure A: Shift systems and rostering (FSS)

 

Work time arrangements and work systems that might have a negative impact on an individual's ability to adjust to shift work include but are not limited to:

(a) a shift roster with an irregular or unpredictable pattern.
(b) more than four consecutive 12-hour night shifts.
(c) more than five consecutive 8-hour night shifts.
(d) work schedules/rosters that do not allow opportunity for continuous sleep of seven to eight hours in each 24-hour period.
(e) excessive regular overtime and on-call work.
(f) early morning shift start times (before 6:00).
(g) backward rotating rosters (day to night to afternoon).
(h) shifts lacking appropriate shift breaks.
(i) less than 36 hours off after a period of night shift work.
(j) 12-hour shifts that involve critical monitoring tasks, heavy physical work, potential exposure to harmful agents/substances.

 

To assess the fatigue risks caused by shift systems and work time arrangements at a mine site, the relevant risk factors should be examined in detail in detail (Table 1.1).

 

Table 1.1:

 

Risk assessment of shift systems and work time arrangements

 

Risk factor

Consideration

Shift schedule design factors

Night shifts, including the number of consecutive night shifts

Are too many consecutive night shifts worked?
Is more than eight hours' work required over-night shift?
Are tasks requiring sustained physical or mental effort undertaken on night shift?
Are complex physical or mental tasks undertaken on night shift?
Do night shift workers have difficulty getting undisturbed sleep during the day?

Long hours of work in a single shift. This includes travel time, especially to remote sites

Does one shift involve more than 12 hours in a day (including call-outs)?

Long hours of work across a shift cycle

Do hours of active work (total time spent at work including overtime) exceed 50 hours in any seven days?

Long hours because of on-call duties

Are there irregular and unplanned schedules as a result of call-outs?
Is the working day or working week extended beyond 12 hours in a single day or hours in any seven days as a result of call-outs?

Short breaks between work shifts

Is there enough time between work shifts to allow for adequate sleep:
- Enough time in a break for five hours' uninterrupted sleep in 24 hours (only for one night)?
- Enough time in breaks for 12 hours of sleep in 48 hours (i.e. in two days)?
- Enough time in breaks for 50 hours' sleep in 7 days?
- Is the break between shifts less than 10 hours?

Short breaks within work shifts

Are breaks within shifts long enough and frequent enough to allow workers to rest, refresh and nourish themselves?

Shift start/finish times

Do any shifts start or finish between midnight and 6:00?
Are there split shifts?
Are complex, difficult or strenuous tasks required at the start or end of such shifts?

Changes to rosters

Do workers get sufficient notice of roster changes?
Is fatigue management taken into account in roster changes?