Health and Safety
The undermentioned information forms part of our Health and Safety Programme. We recommend the introduction of this program by means of mentoring and training interventions as may be required to ensure effective safety management.
Should there already be a program in place that has failed for whatever reason, we are able to assist by conducting a Health and Safety Audit followed with a written report of circumstances found, along with recommendations.
Graduate Member of SAIOSH
Programme Objectives
- To provide for the health and safety of persons at work and for the health and safety of persons in connection with the use of plant and machinery.
- The protection of persons other than persons at work against hazards to health and safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work.
- To equip participants with the skills to identify health and safety hazards in the workplace.
- To enable participants to follow up on health and safety hazards which have been identified.
- To enable participants to understand the principals of controlling hazards in the workplace.
Health and Safety Policy
Although not a directive of the Act, we provide a policy in accordance to the provisions of the Act concerning:
- The protection of the health and safety of the company’s employees at work.
- A description of the organization.
- The arrangements for carrying out and reviewing the policy.
- Make arrangement to prominently display a copy of the policy, signed by the chief executive officer, in the workplace where employees normally report for service.
Legislative Notices
- Display of notices and signs of any regulation that prescribes a particular notice or sign to be displayed.
- General duties of employers to their employees.
General duties of employees at work
Arrange for a health and safety Notice Board to inform every employee and be made conversant with the hazards to his health and safety attached to any work which he has to perform as well as with the precautionary measures which should be taken and observed with respect to those hazards.
Post up a notice at every entrance to a workplace prohibiting the entry of unauthorised persons to such workplace and no person shall enter or remain at such workplace without the permission of the employer or user.
Appointments
- Designate and appoint in writing the Chief Executive Officer in accordance to section 16(1) of the act and explain duties and responsibilities;
- Designate and appoint in writing one person under the control of the CEO, who shall act subject to the control and direction of the chief executive officer and in the execution of the safety program in accordance to section 16(2) of the act.
- Arrange for registered trade union involvement where such representation is present.
- Where there is no registered trade union, enter into consultation with all employee representatives in that workplace in order to conclude an agreement with regard to the nomination and election process.
- Ensure conditions applicable to collective agreements in terms of the Labour Relations Act are applied to agreements reached in respect of agreement concluded.
- Arrange and manage nomination and / or election of health and safety representatives.
The terms of office of Health and Safety representatives
- The circumstances and the prescribed manner in which they may be removed as health and safety representatives.
- The manner in which vacancies are to be filled.
- The manner in which health and safety representatives must perform their functions in terms of the Act;
Health and Safety Representative
- Designate areas that will require safety representatives.
- Compile in writing safety representatives responsibilities and site inspections.
- Arrange with trade union to be present and conduct safety representative elections.
- Appoint designated safety representatives in writing.
- Consult with elected and recognised representatives regarding the arrangements and procedures for the next election period in terms of nomination or election, period of office, designation of health and safety zones.
Health and Safety Committee
- Establish and appoint in writing a health and safety committee which shall consist of:
- All the health and safety representatives for the workplace shall be members of the committee; and
- Appoint those members who have been designated by management to serve on the committee;
- Develop meeting procedures, agenda and period of meetings.
Admittance of Persons
Subject to section 8 of the Act:
Develop and implement registers and forms that shall grant permission and record entry of a person to enter a workplace, where the health or safety of such person is at risk or may be at risk.
First Aid
- Develop and design first aid stations.
- Purchase first aid kits as contemplated in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1983 (Act No. 3 of 1983).
- Arrange for training of persons to be in possession of a valid certificate of competency in first aid.
Flammable Liquids
- Undertake a full assessment of flammable, toxic substances and materials, and comply with relative safety regulations as per the act.
- Purchase and place all applicable signs in relative areas as per assessment.
Warehouse and Product Stacking
- Arrange for the training of personnel in terms of OHSA, Section 8, Safe Stacking of Material.
- Purchase and place relative signs at work place.
- Welding, Cutting, Soldering, or any Other Similar Operation
- Develop and design access approval for sub-contractors entering the premises to undertake alteration or repairs (Section 9 of the OHSA)
- Purchase, develop and train personnel on access registers for subcontractors
- Develop a safety policy and training preventing non-authorised or un-trained personnel using equipment.
- Ensure all Forklift drivers possess a certificate of competency.
- Arrange for health check of all equipment users.
Machinery and Equipment
Ladders
Apply regulations as per section 12 of the act in the provision of the correct ladders for use around the building and in the warehouse.
Housekeeping Programme
Implementation and maintenance of the principles and practices of good housekeeping is the foundation of keeping the workplace organized and safe. Best Practice housekeeping is in keeping with:
- Proper storage of materials and equipment, arranged so that everyone can find things easily.
- Removal of any loose materials in aisles and passageways which may obstruct means of access to and egress from workplaces and passageways;
- Organize to ensure that any unnecessary items are removed from the workplace.
- Ensure Tidiness by planning to have a place for everything and having everything in its place.
- Maintain a high degree of Cleanliness by keeping the workplace clean, eliminate sources of dirt and dust.
- Establish clear and visible Standards for the elements of housekeeping.
- Ensure that housekeeping is performed in a Disciplined way and continuously improved.
Accident Reporting
- Ensure that the company is registered with COID.
- Ensure that a designated person is appointed in writing, responsible for the completion of COID forms and reporting of all accidents in accordance to the COID Act (section 24(1)(a).
- Provide effective intervention to ensure that designated person is adequately trained to effect the provisions of the Act.
- Obtain registers to record all accidents and incidents and provide intervention.
- Develop and design a management reporting structure on a monthly basis and provide intervention.
Emergency Contingency Plans
- Establish procedures to make maximum use of company resources to protect employees and company assets in emergency situations.
- Make arrangement to establish a Planning Committee.
- Develop a risk assessment scenario, submit contingency plans to senior management.
- Develop a risk assessment and contingency plans in terms of other business associated risks – Fire, Labour Unrest, Sabotage, Bomb Threats, and Natural Disasters.
- Programme content is based solely on the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 as amended by the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act, 181 of 1993.
Health and Safety Programme
Assist designated 16(2) person to:
- Develop safety zones.
- Conduct comprehensive risk assessments per zone and identify risks and hazards to which persons may be exposed to; analyse and evaluate risks and hazards identified.
- Develop a documented plan of safe work procedures to mitigate, reduce or control the risks and hazards that have been identified.
- Develop a documented monitoring plan that would effectively monitor action taken.
- Develop a documented review plan.
- Include Health and Safety structures, appointments, communication and reporting procedures as well as the programme of Occupational Health and Safety inspections.
- Reflect in the election procedure and duration of appointments of Health and Safety Representatives.
- Publish a list for general consumption of the Health and Safety committee members
- Develop committee meeting agenda and render a meeting procedure intervention.
- Include in the plan the required management reporting procedure
- Develop a suitable safety induction programme for all new employees.
- Develop suitable periods of consultation with the workforce in respect of safety.