Health & Safety Legal Compliance Audit

Section 8(1) of the Occupational Health & Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) stipulates that the employer shall provide and maintain, as far as reasonable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of the employees.

All work environments and managements of businesses must ensure that the workplace is free from anything that may cause injury, damage or disease.

In certain areas of work, this is not possible and understandable, therefore it is very important that management must inform employees about any hazards or potential hazards that may occur in the workplace.  It is also management duties to inform and enforce them about the precautionary measures which must be taken to protect themselves.

Managements will not be held accountable alone for all the health and safety. Hazards at the workplace must be addressed through communication and cooperation between employers and their employees.

Employees must understand that it is their responsibility as well as the managements to proactively identify hazards and developing control measures to make the workplace as safe and healthy as possible.

This will ensure that both parties are involved in a system whereby the Health & Safety Representative may inspect the workplace regularly and then report to the Health & Safety Committee, which in turn may make recommendations to the Employer.

During recent audits it was noted that employers start with a SHE Management System but failed to maintain it.

Embarking on a SHE Legal Compliance Audit is an important proactive tool to maintaining a controlled environment. The SHE Audit must verify the current system used by the employer and review results from previous audits.

The audit must be in line with the Occupational Health & Safety Act 85 of 1993, Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130, SANS 10400 Building Regulation and Community Fire Safety By-Law.

Advantages of a Health & Safety Audit

• Management will receive an executive summary.
• Reduction in accidents and creating a Health & Safety Culture.
• Compliance to all relevant Health & Safety Legislation, especially Section 8: Duties of the Employer.
• Audit team with more than 20 years’ experience in SHE Systems and Fire Assessments.