New safety standards aim to reduce incidents in mining transport scenarios
South Africa’s mining industry has shifted from preparation to enforcement. With the updated Road and Rail Safety Code of Practice (COP) now in effect, mining houses are now required to adhere to the new standards. The challenge is in translating the requirements into everyday actions, operational choices and sustainable safety enhancements.
The updated COP has broadened the safety scope considerably. Instead of focusing mainly on internal haul roads, the standard now covers private access roads, rail sidings, level crossings, external haulage connections and the full interface between mine logistics and public infrastructure. Mines must take responsibility for every environment where their vehicles and people operate, whether inside or just beyond the mine boundary.
The standard also requires a much deeper technical understanding of transport systems. Mines must document design limitations, braking systems, load capacities, maximum design speeds and environmental constraints for all vehicles and rail assets. Compliance is no longer solely focused on policies or risk assessments. Mines must demonstrate an evidence-based understanding of how transport systems behave under real operating conditions and make decisions that reflect these realities.
Operator competency has been redefined under the new COP. A licence or professional driving permit (PDP) is no longer sufficient to prove readiness. Mines must show that operators have mastered the specific terrain, gradients, rail interfaces, visibility challenges and dynamic risks that define each site. The expectation is practical capability supported by continuous assessment rather than formal certification alone.
This shift reflects what the industry has long known. Many incidents arise from operators who lack situational familiarity or behavioural consistency rather than from unlicensed driving. Mines are now required to conduct practical competency evaluations, refresher training and assessments that cover hazard awareness, fatigue management, braking distances and decision-making under pressure. Operators must be capable of handling both the vehicle and the environment in which it operates safely.
Real responses
To make the new COP work in daily operations, mines need more than just paperwork. They need clear, practical safety programmes that are ongoing and structured. Independent health and safety providers can help by offering onboarding, training and compliance support for all workers, including employees, supervisors and contractors. This ensures everyone understands the new code and knows how to put it into practice.
Training should focus on the real risks at each site. Hands-on exercises, assessments and refresher courses help workers learn routes, braking distances, safe speeds and hazard awareness. Independent audits give an outside view of where procedures, inspections, maintenance or worker behaviour are falling short. When combined with regular safety talks, observing behaviour on site and reporting near misses, these programmes help create safe habits across the whole operation. The outcome is a steady improvement in both equipment safety and human behaviour, turning compliance into real, everyday performance.
This approach helps ensure that compliance is not treated as a one-time exercise but as an ongoing cycle of improvement.
Text | Louise Woodburn
Photography | Parilov
Louise Woodburn is General Manager: Risk Solution at KBC Health and Safety. For more information, go to kbcsafety.com.
