MINING: ELECTRICAL REGULATIONS TO BE REPEALED
| Title | Government Gazette Notice | Commencing date |
| Notice to repeal the Electrical Regulations. | GN R895 in GG 41065 of 25 August 2017 | Date of publication of new Electricity Regulations |
| Notice to repeal regulations relating to electrical definitions | GN R897 and 898 in GG 41065 of 25 August 2017 | 25 August 2017 |
Chapter 21 of the Regulations made in terms of the Minerals Act 50 of 1991, dealing with Electricity, has now been repealed by GN R895. This repeal will be effective from the date of publication of new Electricity Regulations. It must be noted that Chapter 21 was also repealed in the past by GN R331 in GG 38708 of 24 April 2015 and GN R895 seems to be identical to GN R331, except for the fact that GN R331 required new Electricity Regulations in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act 25 of 1996 to be published for the repeal to be effective, while GN R895 only requires the “publication of new Electricity Regulations”.
In addition, Chapter 1 of the Regulations made in terms of the Minerals Act 50 of 1991 have also been amended by the deletion of the definitions of the following terms (GN R897 and 898):
• light metal,
• armouring,
• circuit,
• collectively screened,
• conductor,
• covered with insulating material,
• dead,
• earthed,
• electrical apparatus,
• explosion protected apparatus,
• extra high pressure,
• flameproof apparatus,
• flexible cable,
• high pressure,
• increased safety apparatus,
• individually screened,
• intrinsically safe apparatus,
• live,
• low pressure,
• medium pressure,
• metallic covering,
• movable electric apparatus,
• portable electric apparatus,
• pressure,
• system, and
• trailing cable.
So what for my operation?
Until such time that new Electricity Regulations have been published, compliance to the current Electrical Regulations in Chapter 21 of the Regulations made in terms of the Minerals Act 50 of 1991 must be adhered to.
