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Johannesburg - The Railway Safety Regular (RSR) on Friday launched guidelines to operators on how to make their working environment safe, the transport ministry said.
The "national standard on human factors management" was developed by the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) on behalf of the RSR.
It requires, among other things, that railway operators do surveys on noise and lighting levels to ensure that workers' health is not compromised.
"Operators are required to conduct hygiene surveys to determine the impact of these physical environmental factors on safe railway operations," the transport ministry said.
"These include noise surveys to ensure that safety critical communication is not compromised (and) that the hearing of the employees is not impaired.
"Lighting surveys are also required to determine the level of lighting required to safely perform the required safety related tasks.
"Good lighting... assists both in the identification of hazards and reduces the likelihood of visual fatigue and discomfort, thus contributing to safe railway operations."
The guidelines also require railway operators to consider "organisational and psychological factors", which include good recruitment and selection processes, training, medical surveillance and fatigue and stress management.
The "national standard on human factors management" was developed by the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) on behalf of the RSR.
It requires, among other things, that railway operators do surveys on noise and lighting levels to ensure that workers' health is not compromised.
"Operators are required to conduct hygiene surveys to determine the impact of these physical environmental factors on safe railway operations," the transport ministry said.
"These include noise surveys to ensure that safety critical communication is not compromised (and) that the hearing of the employees is not impaired.
"Lighting surveys are also required to determine the level of lighting required to safely perform the required safety related tasks.
"Good lighting... assists both in the identification of hazards and reduces the likelihood of visual fatigue and discomfort, thus contributing to safe railway operations."
The guidelines also require railway operators to consider "organisational and psychological factors", which include good recruitment and selection processes, training, medical surveillance and fatigue and stress management.
