NEW LEGISLATION – July 2011

NEW LEGISLATION (CHEMICAL & ALLIED INDUSTRIES’ ASSOCIATION News Letter abstract)

National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008

On 1 July 2011, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, published the following

Draft National Standards and Regulations:

1. Draft National Standard for the Scrapping and Recovery of Motor Vehicles (Government Gazette 34413 Notice Number 431)
2. Draft National Standard for Disposal of Waste to Landfill (Government Gazette 34414 Notice Number 432)
3. Draft Standard for Assessment of Waste for Landfill Disposal (Government Gazette 34415 Notice Number 433)
4. Draft National Standard for the Extraction, Flaring or Recovery of Landfill Gas in South Africa (Government Gazette 34416 Notice Number 434)
5. Draft Waste Classification and Management Regulations (Government Gazette 34417 Notice Number 435)
6. Draft National Norms and Standards for the Storage of Waste (Government Gazette 34418 Notice Number 436) Members of the public are invited to submit written representations or objections to the Minister by the 15 August for Nos. 2, 3 and 5 (the original 30 days has been extended) and by the l September for Nos. 1, 4 and 6.

The full gazettes can be accessed from www.sawic.org.za under draft documents for comments.

ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code

The 2011 addenda to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code was released on July 1, 2011. Instead of issuing the addenda as pages for insertion into the 2010 edition of the Code as in the past, the addenda is incorporated into the Code and ASME will provide everyone who purchased a copy of a Section of the 2010 edition of the Code, a free copy of the same Section with the 2011 addenda incorporated. ASME also announces that there will be no addenda service in 2012 and in all future years. A new edition of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code will be published in 2013 and from then on, a new edition of the Code will be published every two years.

New SANS Standards

The following SANS standards were recently published -

• SANS 310, Storage tank facilities for hazardous chemicals – Above ground storage tank
• SANS 3000-4, Railway safety management Part 4: Human factors management
• SANS 14005, Environmental management systems – Guidelines for the phased implementation of an environmental management system, including the use of environmental performance evaluation
• SANS 17422, Plastics – Environmental aspects – General guidelines for their inclusion in standards
• SANS 1186-4. Symbolic safety signs Part 4: Retro-reflective signs
• SANS 10111-1, Engineering drawings Part 1: General principles
• SANS 10233, Transport of dangerous goods – Intermediate bulk containers for road and rail transport
• SANS 1518, Transport of dangerous goods Design requirements for road vehicles and portable tanks.

Commencement of the Electrical Machinery Regulations, 2011, Gazette 34254; No. R. 250

The Electrical Machinery Regulations, 2011 commences on the 1st of July 2011. Please note that Regulation 12(4) shall only commence on the 1st of October 2012.

The Regulations contains provisions on the following -

• PPE
• Work on disconnected electrical machinery
• Notice
• Switchgear and transformer premises
• Electrical control gear
• Switchboards
• Electrical machinery in hazardous locations
• Portable electrical tools and lights
• Electric fences
• Earthing
• Overhead power lines, service connections and overhead line crossings
• Bare conductors on premises
• Fees payable
• Offences and penalties

Three documents have been published for comment:

1. The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs has in General Notice 515 of 2011, Government Gazette 34493 dated 5 August 2011 published her intention to establish the proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Particulate Matter of Aerodynamic Diameter less than 2.5 Micron Metres.
2. The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, has, in General Notice 586 of 2011, Government Gazette 34558 dated 26 August 2011 has published the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill, 2011 for public comment.
3. The National Department of Health has published its draft National Environmental Health Policy as contained in General Notice 517 of 2011, Government Gazette 34499 dated 3 August 2011.