Section 16.7 of the Mine Health and Safety Act requires every mine to be able to determine the whereabouts of any person on site at any time. Here is what that means in practice — and what you need to achieve full compliance.
What Is the Mine Health and Safety Act?
The Mine Health and Safety Act (Act 29 of 1996) — commonly referred to as the MHSA — is the primary piece of legislation governing health and safety standards at South African mining operations. It places a legal duty on mine employers to protect the health and safety of all persons at their operations, including employees, contractors, and visitors.
The Act is enforced by Mine Health and Safety Inspectors who have broad authority to issue directives, halt operations, and initiate prosecutions where non-compliance is identified. Violations are treated seriously — particularly those linked to preventable fatalities or injuries.
What Does Section 16.7 Specifically Require?
Section 16.7 sits within Chapter 16 of the MHSA, which deals with emergency preparedness and rescue procedures. The section places a direct obligation on mine employers to implement systems and procedures that enable them to determine, at any time, the whereabouts of every person at the mine.
This is not a recommendation. It is a legal requirement.
In practical terms, Section 16.7 compliance demands:
- Continuous tracking of all personnel present on the mine, during active shifts and emergency scenarios
- The ability to identify who is on site at any given moment
- The ability to determine last known location when a person cannot be accounted for
- Automated or manual alert systems that identify unaccounted-for personnel
- Integration with emergency response and rescue procedures
Does Section 16.7 Apply to Surface Mines?
Yes. This is a point of common confusion. The MHSA and its Section 16.7 obligations apply to all mine types regulated under the Act — including open-pit surface mines, surface processing and beneficiation plants, tailings storage facilities, and surface infrastructure areas associated with underground operations.
While the challenges of locating a missing person on a large open-pit surface mine differ from those faced underground, the legal obligation is identical. A surface mine that cannot account for the whereabouts of a worker during an emergency is in breach of Section 16.7 in exactly the same way an underground mine would be.
Key Point
Section 16.7 does not distinguish between surface and underground operations. All mines regulated under the MHSA must implement systems capable of locating any person at any time — whether above or below surface.
What Technology Satisfies Section 16.7?
The MHSA does not prescribe a specific technology. However, compliance in practice has evolved significantly beyond manual roll calls and paper-based sign-in systems. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and enforcement inspectors expect mines to implement electronic personnel tracking systems that provide real-time or near-real-time location visibility.
A compliant system must be capable of:
| Requirement | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|
| Real-time visibility | Control room can view the live location of all active personnel during a shift |
| Last known location | When GPS or RF signal is lost, the system preserves the final confirmed location |
| Autonomous detection | System automatically identifies when a tag has stopped transmitting and alerts operators |
| Workforce accountability | System tracks who entered the mine site and records shift presence data |
| Emergency response integration | Location data is immediately accessible to rescue coordinators during an emergency |
| Data logging and auditability | Movement history and incident data can be retrieved for compliance reporting and inspections |
How RF Tracking Systems Achieve Section 16.7 Compliance
Modern missing person locator systems built on RF (Radio Frequency) tracking and GNSS/GPS positioning are the most widely deployed technology type for meeting Section 16.7 requirements at surface mining operations.
The architecture typically consists of:
- Personnel tags — wearable devices carried by every worker on site, transmitting location data continuously
- RF beacon network — ground-based infrastructure receiving tag signals and relaying data across the site without relying on cellular or WiFi coverage
- Cloud platform — centralised database with on-site caching, accessible via a web-based interface from the control room or remotely
- Control room software — real-time map interface displaying all personnel locations with alert functionality
When a tag stops transmitting — because the worker is incapacitated, has moved out of range, or the tag has been damaged — the system immediately logs the last known GPS coordinate and raises an alert. This satisfies the core requirement of Section 16.7: knowing where a person is at any time, including in an emergency.
What Are the Consequences of Non-Compliance?
Mine Health and Safety Inspectors have wide-ranging powers under the MHSA. A mine found to be operating without a compliant personnel tracking system faces:
- Formal notices to comply, with deadlines imposed by the Inspector
- Section 54 temporary mine stoppages, halting all or part of operations until compliance is achieved
- Financial penalties
- In the event that non-compliance contributes to a fatality or serious injury, Section 86 criminal prosecution of the employer or responsible manager
Beyond regulatory enforcement, the reputational and human cost of being unable to locate a missing worker in an emergency is severe. Every hour spent searching without location data reduces the probability of rescue.
How Mine Safe Global’s System Achieves Full Section 16.7 Compliance
Mine Safe Global’s Surface Missing Person Locator System is engineered specifically to meet MHSA Section 16.7 requirements. The system delivers:
- Continuous RF tracking of all personnel via PTU pedestrian tags
- GNSS/GPS positioning with high-precision location accuracy across open-pit and plant environments
- Last Known Location (LKL) preservation the moment a tag signal is lost
- Autonomous missing person detection, alerting control room staff without requiring manual intervention
- Real-time web-based monitoring interface accessible on site and remotely
- Complete movement history replay for post-incident analysis and compliance documentation
- Red-zone access control — personnel can only enter high-risk areas with functioning, charged tags
The system holds ICASA certification, complies with Chief Inspector of Explosives standards, is MTEx certified for hazardous area operation, and supports ISO 45001 compliance documentation — providing a full certification stack for Inspector review.
Need a Section 16.7 Compliance Review?
Mine Safe Global offers free site assessments and compliance reviews to help operations understand what is required and how to achieve it. Speak to a mining safety specialist today.
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