Health and Safety Risk Assessment in South Africa

Introduction

Employers in South Africa are bound by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993 (OHSA) and other relevant regulations to ensure that they provide a safe and healthy work environment which is free of hazards.

Why is it necessary for companies working in all industries in South Africa to perform risk assessments

It is crucial for employers to carry out health and safety risk assessments in South Africa to ensure that they comply with the law, and also because it is the morally and ethically responsible thing to do in ensuring health and safety of employees.

Any South African employer, employing a medium to large sized workforce, despite the sector of the economy in which the organisation falls, must carry out a risk assessment, not only to the benefit of the employees, but also to benefit the organisation as an adequate health and safety management system can ensure the success of a company.

Each work environment contains some hazards and risks to the employees who work there, and these could adversely affect their health, safety, and wellbeing. While it is not always possible to eliminate all the levels of hazards and risks in the workplace, the employer is responsible to take all the necessary precautions to eliminate as much of it as practicably possible.

WHAT FUNCTION DOES A RISK ASSESSMENT PERFORM?

Health and safety risk assessments must be done to ensure that employees are not in danger when they work in each work environment. Firstly, the assessment identifies all the safety hazards and risks that employees face while they are working.

These may range from anything such as tools that are used to machinery that is utilised in daily operations. It also involves evaluating chemicals that are used in operations, amongst several other things.

Secondly, another aspect of the risk assessment is the health hazards that employees may face within the working environment. These aspects are associated to the health of employees and the assessment thereof is used to ensure that the workspace is conducive to the health and wellbeing of employees.

Here, the assessment will evaluate the safety policies of the organisation; whether an emergency plan is developed, whether employees are trained in first aid, and so on. It may also be extended to evaluate the risks that visitors, customers, and the public may face as well.

Some of the health and safety regulations that employers must comply with in carrying out risk assessments include, but is not limited to:

• The Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993.

• Asbestos Regulation of 2002.

• Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulation of 1995, Section 5, and several others.