CONTENTS€¦ · 22 to 24 May 2018 SAIOH will once again be participating in and exhibiting at A-OSH Expo 2018, Africa's leading occupational health and safety exhibition, which will

GAS SAFETY

A regulative alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

The fundamentals of combustion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Working to expand HVAC compliance . . . . . . . . . . .35

The vision for future energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

SAPEMA NEWS

Chairman’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

SAPEMA MEMBERS

Battery of hearing tests, minimises referrals . . . . . . . .10

Real colour technology. Real arc safety . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Safety prescription eyewear - are youprotected? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

DuPont Protection Solutions helps keeppeople safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

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CONTENTSMarch/April 2018 - Volume 78 Number 2

FEATURE ARTICLESHow Paul O'Neill and Alcoa proved Wall Streetwrong and changed the company’s safety culture . . . .4

Finding a career in occupational health and safety . . . .6

Obituary - Barbara Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Safety First - Easier said than done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

All companies should test for alcohol abuse . . . . . . . .14

Assessing the value of workplaceoccupational wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

IOSMMessage from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Risk Assessments - Baseline vs HIRA . . . . . . . . . . . .20

ACHASMThe Association of Construction Health and SafetyManagement Executive Director Update . . . . . . . . .42

SACPCMP Voluntary Association feedback . . . . . . .43

ACHASM Chapter training and education update . .43

Save the Dates - 23 to 26 October 2018.SAIOH Annual Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

News from SAIOH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Participating associations / organisations / institutes with National Safety and the Safety First Association

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE

March/April 2018 National Safety www.safety1st.co.za 1

Cover Story: See page 22

Launch of OSHAfrica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Prolonged use of high heel shoes can causerestless leg syndrome (RLS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Sharing information, activities, events . . . . . . . . . . . .36

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

In this issue we introduce OSHAfrica - the newlylaunched occupational safety and health organisationfounded to promote OSH across Africa.

We invited Ehi Iden, one of the driving forces behind thisinitiative to provide some highlights on this organisation.

We send our congratulations, and wish them all the bestof luck. We have no doubt that all of Africa will benefit.

THE BIRTH OF OSHAFRICAby Ehi IdenWe are excited to announce to the world that Africa hascome of age in Occupational Safety and Health!

This new achievement in African Occupational Safetyand Health is proof that we can achieve anything we putour minds towards.

The reoccurring global statement in internationalconferences was that "Africa has no data". This wasevident at the World Congress in Frankfurt 2014, ICOHconference in Seoul 2015, TIOSH Conference in Istanbul2016 and again the World Congress in Singapore 2017.

We knew we had to do something. At the ICOH 2015conference in Seoul we called all African delegates to aside meeting and agreed that we needed to start workingtogether, sharing information and publishing our work inpeer review journals.

We all returned to our different countries after theconference and started mobilising other safety officers inour respective countries to follow up on what wediscussed in Seoul. This was another herculean task aseveryone was busy and had little or no time for thispursuit. We started reaching out. We requested theirmobile phone numbers so that we could create aWhatsApp group named OSHAfrica. We started withonly 16 members. Today the WhatsApp group hasgrown to almost 200 members from over 28 Africancountries. What started as a WhatsApp group, has nowgiven birth to a Pan-African Occupational Safety andHealth body known as "OSHAfrica".

OSHAfrica has been registered as a legal entity with ahighly experienced Board of Trustees that is genderbalanced with equal sub regional representation. ThisBoard provides inspiring leadership while ensuring thatour policies and decisions are kept in line with the truerealities of OSH and, are capable of improving workplacesafety and health across Africa.

We have an eight-member Board of Trustees made up of4 Occupational Health Physicians, 4 Occupational Safetyand Health Professionals with experiences spanningdiverse sectors across the global economy.

The vision of OSHAfrica is to create an enablingcollaborative environment for OSH professionals to worktogether, and encourage information sharing. We are also

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Copyright: 2018 Material appearing in this issue may not be reproduced without thepermission of the editor or publishers in any form whatsoever.

The Safety First Association is a non-profit making, privately supported, public serviceorganisation which aims to prevent accidents by promoting an awareness of accident situationsas they exist in day-to-day living amongst members of the community. The Publishers andEditors are not liable for any damages or loss incurred as a result of any statement contained inthis magazine. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy in this publication, neither thePublishers nor Editors accept any responsibility for errors or omissions in the content and reservethe right to edit all contributions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarilythose of the Publishers or Editors.

Editor: Debbie MyerProduction Editor: Lindsay MyerChairman: George BrowseVice Chairman: Leighton BennettMarketing & Subscriptions: Maureen SchwegmannAdmin Manager: Bruce SchwegmannCommittee members: Leighton Bennett

Stewart ShapiroWensley MisroleGeorge BrowseDebbie Myer

Subscriptions / Administration / Marketing / Promotions3 Kwartel Street Vorna Valley, PO Box 321 Halfway House 1685Tel: + 27 11 701-5054 Fax: 086 684 2664E-mmail: [email protected]

Advertising & Editorial Delinds Publications cc12 Delta Road, Blairgowrie, Randburg, PO Box 72366 Parkview 2122Tel: + 27 11 886-5985 Fax: +27 11 886-1332 Cell: + 27 83-266-6662 E-mmail: [email protected]

National Safety is published by the Safety First Association andis the official journal of• The Institute of Safety Management (IOSM)• Southern African Protective Equipment Marketing Association

(SAPEMA)• Association of Construction Health and Safety Management

(ACHASM)

National Safety is supported by:• Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH)• South African Qualification and Certification Committee for

Gas (SAQCC GAS)

National Safety incorporates:• Occupational Safety and Health• Personal Protective Equipment• Corporate Risk Management• Occupational Hygiene• Gas Safety

Editor’s Comment

2 www.safety1st.co.za National Safety March/April 2018

OSHAfrica will be holding their maiden Conferenceand Exhibition in Johannesburg during 2019.

For further information email [email protected]

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encouraging research outcomes to be put into practiceby using the information to support African regionalOSH policies and legislations.

One of the key areas of our vision is to develop OSHcompetencies within Africa by scaling up existingknowledge and developing new ones. This will bemade possible through OSHAfrica's internationalprofessional collaborations with other OSH Groupsacross the world, as well as by working with existinginstitutions across Africa, by developing and improvingOSH departments and training curricula to ensuremembers have access to affordable quality training andcertifications.

Our website came online in January 2018 -www.oshafrica.africa. We encourage every OSHprofessional to register and become a member ofOSHAfrica at no cost. This plan will help us bringtogether and integrate professionals across all regions inAfrica. We will also be able to profile everyone knowingtheir core areas of expertise.

We have received very positive commitments andinterest from African and international occupationalsafety and health communities.

We received congratulatory messages fromENETOSH, DGUV Germany, PEROSH and manyother individual OSH members across different regionsof the world.

We are now planning an African Occupational Safetyand Health conference for 2019 which will be calledOSHAfrica International Conference. We will soonannounce which member country will host thisinaugural conference. Our conferences will be heldevery 3 years and will be rotated amongst membercountries.

We are extremely excited with all these developmentsand by the positive responses that we have received. Ithas not been an easy path - it has taken a lot of hardwork, patience and commitment, and we love theoutcome.

Africa now has a voice in Occupational Safety andHealth globally. This is not about a country, it is aboutAfrica and the World at large.

You can follow our social media handles Twitter@osh_africa, Facebook page@OSHAfrica.

Please visit our website www.oshafrica.africa.

2019 Conference and Exhibition


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How Paul O'Neill and Alcoa proved Wall Street wrong

and changed the company’s safety cultureIn this article, Dr Bill Pomfret looks atone CEO who changed the company’ssafety culture through demonstratinggood communication with hisworkforce. A great example of aproactive CEO.

When CEOs address investors, stockanalysts, board members, and eventheir own executives and employees,they tend to talk about profit marginsor other buzzwords relevant to thecompany's bottom line.

PUTTING SAFETY ABOVE PROFITS

In 1987 however, the newly appointedCEO of Aluminum of America (Alcoa),Paul O'Neill, took an unconventionalstance and used his introductoryaddress to Wall Street to discuss whatmattered to him most: safety.

Paul O'Neill certainly discussed hisstrategy to increase profitsbut he did so by discussing employeesafety.

When questions were asked regardingproductivity or earnings per share, heredirected the conversation back tosafety.

For Mr O'Neill, his first and foremostpriority was to make Alcoa the safestcompany to work for and reduceworkplace incidents to zero.

Investors thought he was crazy becausethey didn't understand how a CEO

could maintain a profitable business byvaluing safety above all else.

THE INCIDENT THAT CEMENTED HISPHILOSOPHY

Six months into his tenure as CEO, anAlcoa worker was killed in Arizonawhile performing maintenance work ona piece of equipment. Within 14 hoursof the incident, Mr O'Neill ordered allof the plant's executives into anemergency meeting where theywatched and analysed a video of theincident to learn how it occurred andmore importantly, to figure out how itcould be avoided in the future.

Instead of blaming the plant supervisor,O'Neill recognised that he and all ofthe other executives of Alcoa wereresponsible for this man's death since itwas a failure of leadership that lead tothis tragic incident.

SAFETY CHANGES IMPLEMENTED

A week later, Mr O'Neill introducedsome drastic changes at Alcoa.

• All of the safety railings wererepainted bright yellow and newsafety policies were written, sharedand discussed with all employees.

• O'Neill addressed all of the onsiteworkers and encouraged them tomake suggestions for proactivesafety maintenance.

• He engaged every ground worker,gave them all his home phone

number and told them to call himdirectly if their managers failed tofollow up with their safetysuggestions.

• Not only did Mr. O'Neill encouragehis upper management to thinkmore broadly about safety, heencouraged those onsite workerswho were most exposed to risks toparticipate in workplace safety andin doing so, created an opendialogue between uppermanagement and onsite workers.

• He established accountability withinupper management and produced abest-in-class safety culture at Alcoa.

WORKER PARTICIPATION INCREASEDPRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT

The openness Paul O'Neill createdbetween management and workerswent far beyond safety.

Since workers were encouraged tomake safety improvement suggestionsto upper management, they began tofeel comfortable making suggestionsfor how production could be improvedas well.

For instance, in an Alcoa plant thatmanufactured aluminum siding forhouses, one ground employee made asuggestion that ended up doubling theplant's profits.

The employee realised that if all of thepainting machines were grouped closertogether, workers could switch outpigments faster making it easier toswitch pigment colours in response tochanges that customers wererequesting.

The employee had this idea for yearsbut didn't feel comfortable comingforward until his CEO created opencommunication between workers andupper management.

By creating a safe and open workenvironment where workers felt valued,employees began to come forward withrevolutionary ideas that not only madeAlcoa a safer place to work, but alsoimproved the company's productivity.

Managing Consultant, Safety ProjectsInternational, Canada specialises in

auditing and evaluating both client andcontractor Safety Programmes and in

developing with them pro-activepreventative systems procedures andprogrammes to control all incidents.

by Dr Bill Pomfret

O'Neill recognised that he andall of the other executives ofAlcoa were responsible for

this man's death since it wasa failure of leadership thatlead to this tragic incident


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SAFETY CULTURE ASSISTS LOSTWORKDAYS

By demonstrating relentless safetyleadership and forcing his executives tonot only care about the safety of theiremployees but about the value of theiropinions, Mr O'Neill managed to builda world class safety culture at Alcoaand improve the company's bottomline.

During his 13 years at Alcoa, lostworkdays dropped from 1.86 to 0.23and the company's market value grew816% from $3 billion in 1986 to $27billion in 2000.

INITIAL INVESTOR RESPONSE

In response to O'Neill's 1987introductory address, some investorsimmediately got on their phones andadvised their clients to stop investing inAlcoa.

One investor even discussed how hethought the Alcoa board had hiredsome 'crazy hippy' and that Mr O'Neillwas going to 'kill the company'. Hesaid "I ordered my clients to sell theirstock immediately, before everyone elsein the room started calling their clientsand telling them the same thing.

Many others had the same shortsightedview that safety is an aspect of businesswhich takes away from company

profits, not something that is typicallyvalue added.

INVESTORS WERE PROVED WRONG

However, Mr O'Neill proved WallStreet wrong and demonstrated that bychoosing to invest in a culture of safeoperations and continuousimprovement while encouraging anopen environment between uppermanagement and ground workers, acompany will reduce their incident rate,and can drastically increase profits.

Don't be like the narrow sighted, profitfocused investors who were unable tosee the business value of safety andmissed out on a major opportunity.

Take the time to invest in a good safetyculture and encourage opennessbetween workers and uppermanagement, and see what creativeideas your employees have to protectand improve your business!

His first and foremost prioritywas to make Alcoa the safest

company to work for and reduceworkplace incidents to zero

By creating a safe and open workenvironment workers felt valued,

employees came forward withrevolutionary ideas that made Alcoaa safer place to work, and improved

the company's productivity


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When I was a young man, there was apopular night spot where everybodywent to on Friday and Saturday nights.

On these nights, a queue quicklydeveloped outside the place and youhad to wait for hours to enter. Therewas no strategy for entry becausewhether or not you arrived early or late,entry was never guaranteed. At times,lady luck smiled at you. In mostinstances however, by the time youeventually got in, you were sweaty,tired and paid 3 times the fee havingendured the pushing, shoving andabuse from bouncers. As with mostplaces, there would always be thosepeople who jumped the queue.

Once inside, the place was alwayscrammed with little space to maneuver.It was addictive and guaranteed a greatnight of fun. When you eventuallymade the tough decision to leave andgo home, you would still find a queuewith people desperately waiting to getinside. In all honesty, there were equallygreat places to have a good night whichwere less costly and less stressful yetfolks thronged to this specific nightspot like moths to a light.

FINDING WORK IN OHS

I am reminded of these experienceswhen I look at recruitment in the OHSsector in South Africa.

Like many people, after graduatingfrom University, I desperately wantedto be a health and safety officer. It is byfar the most popular job title soughtafter in an industry inundated with somany qualified and experienced people.There are no hard and fast rules forlanding a job. I was a graduate with abachelors degree competing on anequal footing with people who hadcompleted a 3 day OHS course - manyof whom would get shortlisted ahead ofme.

It took many years to land a job inoccupational health and safety (OHS).It required countless job applications,networking, failed interviews, rewritten CVs and gaining lots of shortcourse qualifications. I spent aninsurmountable amount of money andtime to get a CV comparable withother job seekers.

Today I am saddened whenever Ireceive messages from young OHSprofessionals reaching out for assistanceto land the elusive health and safetyofficer job. The messages I receive arevery similar to the ones I sent toindustry movers and shakers a fewyears ago.

Many unemployed OHS professionalsare willing to work as volunteers andearn nothing after having spent lots ofmoney to gain qualifications,certifications and memberships in thefield.

Their airtime, money and time is spentresponding to job ads and trying to geta foot into the OHS sector. Hardly areturn on investment.

OHS RELATED CAREEROPPORTUNITIES

It all makes me cringe when I thinkabout my own time out in the cold yetI still encourage all of those who reachout to me to never ever give up. Iimplore them to be open to enter theprofession from multiple angles;

Training

OHS related training courses like firstaid, fire fighting and SHE Reps is a bigindustry in South Africa.

Various SETA registered trainingproviders have job openings forqualified OHS training facilitators,assessors and moderators.

Audit

Many companies undergo annualsurveillance and recertification auditson their OHS management systemsfrom certification bodies. Get trainedand apply to be an OHS systemsauditor

Inspector

The department of labour employsOHS inspectors who ensure thatorganisations comply with the OHSAct, COIDA and other legislation.Getting employed in this inspectoratedivision can be a fulfilling andrewarding career

Consulting

Many organisations require consultingservices to implement OHSmanagement systems. Consulting inyour individual capacity or joining aconsultancy firm can be an alternativecareer

OHS supplies and servicingOrganisations across various sectorsrequire OHS equipment, PPE andother items. Starting up your owncompany that supplies and or servicessuch materials or equipment may be agateway into the world ofentrepreneurship.

OHS software

Developing OHS IT solutions whichsimplify hazard identification, riskassessments, internal audits etc. can beanother rewarding entrepreneurialjourney in the field of OHS.

Occupational health nursing

Many occupational health nursingpractitioners conduct audio and visualtests, medicals etc for employees beforethey are employed or during their termof employment in industries such asconstruction and mining. With formaltraining, nursing can be a great career.

Finding a career in occupational health and safety

... I receive messages fromyoung OHS professionals

reaching out for assistance toland the elusive health and

safety officer job.Wellington Mudenha is anexperienced and qualified

professional in the field of Safety,Health, Environmental and

Quality Management. He has awealth of experience in SHEQ legalcompliance as well as SHEQ ISOmanagement systems development,implementation, maintenance andaudit. Wellington is also a SHEQtrainer / facilitator and SETA

registered assessor.


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OHS journalism

There are many OHS relatedpublications that employ full-timepersonnel. Journalism in the field givesyou access to people, information andprovides you with an opportunity toestablish contacts in the sector.

In hindsight, I realised that the OHSprofession is much bigger than being ahealth and safety officer. If I had knownthis earlier in my career, I would nothave spent many years in the OHSwilderness.

This title of health and safety officerseems to draw most job seekers into thefield yet fewer and fewer people aregetting employed as such.

It is enjoyable being a health and safetyofficer only if you are able to land thejob. Rather than having to put up withthe stress and frustrations of failing toland this elusive job, there are so manyOHS related career opportunities foryoung professionals to pursue.

The list above is by no meansexhaustive. It may not contain whatyou want but it provides an insight intoalternative career prospects within theOHS field.

Some people will have it easy andothers will not, but no one should giveup on their OHS dream because theyare not a health and safety officer!

Best wishes to all job seekers in 2018!

I was saddened to hear that BarbaraCampbell passed away on 17 March,just 25 days short of her 93rd birthday.

Barbara ran the Safety First Associationfrom 1966 until she retired in 2001.She was appointed as administrator ofthe association in 1966, shortly aftermoving from Port Elizabeth toJohannesburg where she had worked asa bookkeeper. Barbara couldn't tolerateinefficiency, and what she found on herfirst day at the association shocked her.The office was in state of chaos - piles ofdusty documents and papers lying allaround; staff members standing arounddoing nothing, financial records indisarray, and a badly published, roneodmagazine.

The first thing she did was grab abroom and start cleaning up. Within afew months, she had turned the placeinto a professionally run organisation.

Next, she set about transformingNational Safety into a world-classmagazine. Barbara enjoyed writing,and with National Safety put herliterary skills into practice.

Barbara ran the office single-handedly.Not only did she keep all accountingrecords up-to-date, she also editedNational Safety magazine, grew thesubscription base and encouragedseveral professional associations toappoint National Safety as theirmouthpiece.

Although Barbara had been a poliovictim as a teenager, she had atremendous fighting spirit which livedwith her until her final days. Her

disability never stopped her, nor slowedher down, if she wanted to see a client,it was no problem to hop onto a bus togo there.

She put the Safety First Association onthe map by participating in andorganising several exhibitions as well assubmitting regular articles to the dailynewspapers - several of her articles werepublished in the James Clarke columnof the Star.

However, for Barbara all this was notenough - she had developed a passionfor safety, and the Association became amajor focus of her life. She launched thepopular cartoon booklets, the safetyposters and the annual safety calendar.

Barbara had an excellent memory, sheremembered the names of every personshe had met as well as when andwhere. She virtually remembered everyarticle which had been published inNational Safety and in which issue itappeared.

To keep healthy, she swam every day -even during the winter when she wentto the indoor pools. In her spare time,Barbara enjoyed reading, painting andplaying with her dogs.

After Barbara had retired, shecontinued to be my unofficial sub-editor of National Safety. She anxiouslywaited for her copies to arrive, read themagazine from cover to cover andwould then phone me and give hercomments. She was fascinated withmodern printing techniques, alwayscomparing the quality to her earlierdays.

Barbara has left behind an enormouslegacy for the Safety First Association.

"Barbara was a remarkable, highlyintelligent woman and she will bemissed by us all", said George Browse,Chairman of the Safety FirstAssociation.

Barbara is survived by her sons Davidand John and her daughter-in-lawErica.

ObituaryBarbara Campbell

It is enjoyable being a health andsafety officer only if you are able

to land the job

Asbestos awarenessAlthough the health implications ofasbestos are well-documented, theproblems associated with itcontinue, including asbestosis andmesothelioma.

iMig is an independent internationalgroup of scientists and cliniciansworking to understand, cure andprevent mesothelioma.

Membership is invited to this groupto improve the internationalscientific exchange and knowledgeabout this malignancy.

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.ICSevents.com


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How many times you have heard"Safety First" or "Everything Startswith Safety"? I'm pretty sure that wehave all heard some variation of thesephrases. As a safety professional myself,it does become challenging at times toknow which approach is the best formotivating employees and staff to bemore safety conscious in the workplaceand at home. You may ask, why athome as well? This is because 70% ofall injuries occur at home.

We all need to embrace a culture ofsfety - whether on the job or at home.

EMBRACE AN CULTURE OF SAFETY

What is it a safety culture? Thecommon definition is a set of commonbeliefs that are acceptable to a group. Ibelieve this goes to a deeper level.

I decided recently at my workplace totry and increase the safetyconsciousness of the employees andstaff by involving them on a personalbasis in our monthly safety meetings.

I started by asking 2 questions: Whatdoes safety mean to them and what dothey understand safety culture tomean?

I asked each question individually toeach employee and staff at the safetymeetings.

For the first question, the answers I

received were varied and based on theirpersonal beliefs, like not getting hurt.

One of the answers I received reallyimpressed me. The employee said thatsafety is "a lifestyle". This made methink about the "core values of aperson".

As to the second question, I wassurprised that most of the employeesdidn't know what a safety culture was.

After the session, I received a lot apositive feedback. But I also receivedbacklash from some employees whothey didn't like to be singled out infront of the group.

I do understand that not everyone iscomfortable to speak in front of groups,but I also believe that in order toimprove as a person, you must beplaced outside of your comfort zone.

So, I have come up my own definitionof a safety culture which is "A set ofshared core values of a group ofindividuals who believe that safety ismore than work, home or lifestyle: it'spart of who we are."

The following month, I decided topursue the same format in our safetymeetings.

The 2 questions I asked this time were:"What are you doing now to contributeto safety" and "what are you willing todo for the next month to improvesafety on site?"

Obviously, these questions were morechallenging for the employees becausethey now had to dig deeper withinthemselves.

For the first question, just like in the

Safety First - Easier said than done

Christian Fournier, CHSC has beenworking in the safety profession for

over 10 years. He is a Training Co-ordinator for Fornebu Lumber aswell as a First Responder InstructorTrainer for Saint John Ambulance.

Christian is a member of CSSE(Canadian Society of Safety

Engineering) and a director on theboard of the NB chapter.

previous month, I received a widerange of answers from picking upobjects off the ground, to ensuring thattheir fellow co-worker locks outproperly during cleaning andmaintenance.

When it came to the second question,the employees found it difficult to givean answer.

In order to help them, I gave them my2 personal commitments that I hadchallenged myself to for the next 2months. These were to only look forthe positive actions around me; toobserve one employee per day, and tothank them for working safely and ofcourse to tell them the reason why Iwas thanking them.

Once I mentioned my owncommitments, some of the employeeand staff were encouraged to providetheir own personal commitments inorder to improve safety at ourworkplace.

As you can see, safety isn't as easy asreplacing a bolt or putting on a guard.It is dealing with people.

I wish I could say that all employees /staff were on board with my approachbut I at least I did make some headwaywhere some of the employee’s eyeswere opened to this new approach, thatsafety comes from within each andevery one of us.

Safety is a set of shared corevalues of a group of individualswho believe that safety is morethan work, home or lifestyle: it's

part of who we are

To become a corporate or individual member ofthe Safety First AssociationContact: Email - [email protected] Tel: 011-701-5054 Website: www.safety1st.co.za

To advertise in National Safetycontact DebbieCell: 083 266 6662Email: [email protected]


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Hearing is one of our most precioussenses and when damaged can affectjob performance, health, as well aspersonal and occupational productivity.

Hearing damage from noise is fullypreventable when the right precautionsare taken.

Despite all that is known about noiseand its effects on health, NIHL remainsone of the most commonly reportedoccupational diseases.

Our hearing should be evaluatedholistically to ensure optimal totalhearing care. Workers working in highnoise areas or who are exposed to noiseat or above 85dB(A) must besubmitted to medical surveillance forhearing screening.

Effective case history taking has longbeen identified as a core discipline intreating people that seek health care.

Collecting an inaccurate or incompletehistory can affect initial treatment andsubsequent decisions for intervention.Prior to audiometric testing, the

worker must undergo an otoscopicexamination to ascertain the presenceof any abnormalities which couldadversely influence the accuracy of thetest results.

A screening hearing test should then beperformed if the outer ear does notpresent with abnormalities e.g.impacted wax, foreign bodies, orinfections.

To ensure reliable and accurate testresults any "abnormal" conditionshould be referred and/or treated beforetesting commences.

When abnormal hearing thresholds areidentified after the screening test, theclient is referred for further diagnostictests to determine the actual cause ofthe hearing loss.

A full diagnostic hearing evaluation isperformed for the specific purpose of aspecialist evaluation of an individual'shearing status, employing immittancemeasurements, otoacoustic emissions,pure tone audiometry (air conduction,

Battery of hearing tests, minimises referrals

Figure 1. Otoscopic examination

Figure 2. Tympanometry testing


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bone conduction, masking), as well asspeech audiometry. However,complimentary tests that could beincluded within the screening testbattery areImmittance measurementsand otoacoustic measurements.

Immittance measurements areconducted to evaluate the middle earsystem objectively. It consists oftympanometry and acoustic reflextesting.

With tympanometry, a tone isdelivered to the ear while pressure ischanged within a sealed earcanal. Thistest measures the volume, pressure andcompliance (motility) of the middle earsystem to determine if there are anyabnormalities.

Tympanometry has numerousadvantages which include:

• it is fast and easy to perform,

• requires no response from thepatient,

• is an objective measurement and isportable.

This test is not a stand-alone test but isused as a cross-check against the

audiogram to develop a more completepicture of an individual's hearing.

It also has an important role indifferentiating a sensorineural hearingloss from a conductive hearing loss.

Otoacoustic emission (OAE) testingshould also be performed as part of thetest battery. This test examines theouter hair cell functioning of the innerear. With this test a stimulus ispresented into the ear canal and theresponse of the outer hair cells to thestimulus are recorded via a probe. When recording otoacoustic emissionsthe patient's middle ear functioningshould be normal, therefore immittancemeasurement should be conductedbefore OAE testing. Performing OAEtesting has several advantages: • it can be incorporated as a screening

and diagnostic application, • does not require behavioural

cooperation, • is ear and frequency specific,• is portable and is highly sensitive to

outer hair cell damage.

OAEs are in addition to the diagnostic

process and not a replacement topreviously trusted methods; this isbecause OAEs are susceptible to theeffects of noise, affected by middle earstatus, may be absent or abnormal witha normal audiogram, are not detectablewith hearing loss >40dB and,therefore, they are ultimately not a testof hearing.

It is evident that when hearingscreening is performed a variety of testsare required.

These screening tests can be done costeffectively and reliably on site reducingthe number of incorrect referrals andthereby saving considerable costs.

For more information pleasecontactH.A.S.S. Industrial (Pty) Ltd -Your Partner in Hearing Conservation.We are an official distributor ofIndustrial Hearing Screeningequipment and the manufacturer ofNoise-Ban custom-made hearingprotection devices.

For more visitwww.hearingprotection.co.za or contactus on (012) 403-8740 orE-mail: [email protected]

Figure 3. Otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing


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Recently, I have noticed an increaseduse of shoes with incredibly high heelsamongst ladies of all ages - causing meto think about the possible healthoutcomes. Most alarming is theprolonged use of such high heels inwork places ranging from 5 - 8 hourscontinuous use. This is where thetroubles lies.

DEFINITION

According to a publication of theNational Institute of NeurologicalDisorders and Strokes, "Restless legssyndrome (RLS) is a neurologicaldisorder characterized by throbbing,pulling, creeping, or other unpleasantsensations in the legs and anuncontrollable, and sometimesoverwhelming, urge to move them". Itis classified as a movement disorder,because individuals move their legs inorder to gain relief from symptoms.

Amongst the several factors indicativeof causing this disorder, is the use ofhigh heel shoes. Although it ispredominantly amongst women,studies have shown that men are also inthe habit of wearing shoes with heelssuch as Sanchos Boots.

I struggle to understand why peopleare happy to get their feet traumatisedjust to look fashionable, elegant and

perceived glamorous, in an extremelyuncomfortable way. Every part of thebody has a scientific process of use andmanagement and you cannot afford toviolate these processes withoutsuffering the consequences.

Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD),this is another symptom applicable tohigh heel shoes habit.

You will either pay now, or pay laterbecause you have continuouslytraumatised your feet withunfortunate consequences thatawait you in future.

You may not realise it immediately, butbecause this habit persists over a periodof time, the possibility of suffering fromRLS is high. But remember, this haseverything to do with frequency andduration of exposure to such risk, suchas how often you wear high heels shoes,when you use them and for how longat a time.

Five days in a week for 8 hourstretches is likely to cause harm infuture years. RLS caused by high heelsmay be avoidable if shoes with lowheels are worn more often.

CONSEQUENCES AT THE WORKPLACE

Wearing high heels at work may haveother consequences. Slips, trips and fallsare more frequent, causing downtimethrough man-hour loss and RLSinduced absenteeism, extra health costsand psychological tension amongstcolleagues. And of course, there is thepain and cumulative long-term effectscaused to the person who has theaccident.

RLS MAY BE A CAUSE OF INSOMNIA

RLS can also be linked to insomnia.During my online course onBehavioural Medicine at KaronlinskaInstitute Sweden, I learned that one ofthe most predominant causes of loss ofsleep is pain. Often, we focus on how todeal with the lack of sleep instead ofrecognising the root cause.

If you walk on high shoes for longerperiods of time, you are bound sufferfrom the consequences, just like theemployee who has spent a full day

workingin anergonomicallydysfunctionalworkplace. Thecontinuous body

discomfort and painmay be the cause of a

bad night’s sleep. You willwake up in the morning feeling

more tired than before you went tobed, and the law of circadian rhythmsets in.

Through sleep disruption, you battlewith heavy eyes and an urge to sleep.You will therefore not be optimallyproductive - also known aspresenteeism (you are present at workjust to be seen but are productivelyabsent).

The negative consequences will be feltby both employee and employer alike.The employer does not get theexpected production contribution outof the employee, and the employee’sposition in the organisation may bejeopardised.

THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ARENOT WORTHWHILE

In as much as we love to be fashionableand elegant, we need to consider theconsequences of wearing high heelshoes, including problems that may beexperienced at the workplace, or whatwe may suffer in old-age.

The consequences may not be worththe effort, and of course the expense.

Your feet must be able to function wellthroughout the day without anyunnecessary pressure.

I strongly urge those who put fashionbefore comfort to consider theconsequences, and to remember thatby discontinuing this habit, you will beable to reverse any problems you mayhave caused your feet.

In this brief space, I have only focusedon RLS, there are other healthproblems associated with high heels,such as lower back pain that may alsoset in after prolonged use.

Prolonged use of high heel shoes can cause restless leg syndrome (RLS)

Ehi Iden is Chief Executive Officer atOccupational Health and Safety Managers,

Lagos Nigeria. He has over 20 years inpractice at hospitals, workplaces and

occupational health centres. He holds anMBA and MSc in Workplace Health andSafety. He is currently a PhD by Research

student. He holds a number of InternationalCertificates from institutions and

universities across the world. Ehi is aprolific Occupational Health and Safetyblogger and has presented papers at many

international conferences.


•

Alcohol and substance testing formspart of the health and safety policiesand procedures in many industries.

Industries that have particularlyrigorous and controlled safety standards- such as the petro-chemical, mining,construction and rail sectors - areespecially strict when it comes totesting for alcohol. However, there arestill a great number of organisationsacross a variety of verticals that do notemploy the same cautionary practice,potentially resulting in significant lossto the business.

The Occupational Health and Safety(OHS) Act General Safety Regulation2A states that every employer isobligated to stop persons from enteringor remaining at work if they appear tobe under the influence of intoxicatingliquor or drugs.

In some industries, such as thosementioned above, organisations aresubjected to annual and spot audits ontheir health and safety practices. Non-compliance can land these businesses inextremely hot water, so they generallyadhere to regulation and ensure thatregular, if not daily, testing is done. Asa rule, this testing should form aregular part of every business's healthand safety policy.

Why are businesses so afraid to test? Many organisations are fearful ofimplementing alcohol and drug testingfor a number of reasons, albeit many ofthem misplaced.

There is a general misconception thatimplementing an alcohol and drugpolicy in the workplace is difficult andcostly. Some companies worry aboutthe potential liability and legal

ramifications should there be anypositive testing on site, and for thisreason prefer to avoid the processaltogether.

This avoidance can be detrimental tothe organisation, and the benefits oftesting far outweigh any assumed risksor costs.

Not having and enforcing an alcoholand drug policy exposes the business toserious risk. If a company is caughtinfringing the OHS Act they stand toface severe consequences andpotentially even operational shut down.

Over and above this, the safety of anorganisation's employees is at risk dueto alcohol and drug related accidents.

Why is it so important for businessesto test? Although a company is not necessarilyheld liable if an intoxicated personinjures themselves while on duty, itcould be held accountable should a co-worker be injured and the properalcohol testing was not conducted.

Furthermore, if a company is aware ofthe presence of an intoxicated personon site and deliberately turns a blindeye, they could face debilitating legalaction in the event of an accident orinjury.

The impacts of allowing an intoxicatedperson on site, whether knowingly ornot, are not only limited to injuries.People under the influence of drugs andalcohol are generally less productivethan when sober.

Increased absenteeism is also acommon issue linked to alcoholism, asalcohol not only impacts the immunesystem, but people also commonly take"sick days" to recover from hangovers.Repeatedly absent staff negativelyimpacts operational efficiency.

Lastly, intoxicated people are moreprone to accidents, which could causedamage to company assets.Unnecessary repairs and replacementsof damaged equipment can beexpensive, and avoided if the rightprocedures and protocols are in place toprevent alcohol related incidents fromoccurring.

How can businesses adopt an alcoholand drug testing policy? Drafting a policy around substanceabuse in the workplace, or adding oneto an existing health and safety policy,is not a complex endeavour. In fact,reputable providers of drug and alcoholtesting equipment usually offer servicesto assist organisations with this process,taking them through the regulationslaid out in the OHS Act and workingthem into the company specific policy.Even without this assistance, theprocess is less complicated than manypeople think.

A typical alcohol and drug policyshould state the related clauses fromthe OHS Act around alcohol and drugsat the workplace. It should also list thecompany's specific stance towards it,whether that be a zero-tolerance policyor a slightly more lenient one whichallows alcohol up to the legal limit.

Some companies may choose to allowalcohol under certain circumstances,such as at a work function, howevershould still ensure that the legal drivinglimit for alcohol is maintained shouldany staff be required to drive homeafterwards.

The policy should also clearly statewhat testing measures will be put inplace, and the frequency of testing - beit daily, at random or only under certaincircumstances such as when anindecent occurs.

Testing can be done based on suspicion

All companies should test for alcohol abuse

Rhys Evans, Director ALCO-Safe

...if a company is aware of thepresence of an intoxicated

person on site anddeliberately turns a blind eye,

they could face debilitatinglegal action in the event of an

accident or injury

The Occupational Health andSafety (OHS) Act General SafetyRegulation 2A states that every

employer is obligated to stoppersons from entering or

remaining at work if they appear tobe under the influence of

intoxicating liquor or drugs


•

of alcohol consumption, on entry to thepremises, following an incident oraccident, or even only on entering highrisk areas within the business.

The consequences of positive testingmust also be included, outlining whatis reasonably expected of both theemployee and employer.

Disciplinary action need not bespecifically stated, however theprocedure for disciplinary action shouldbe advised. For example, if an employeetests positive for alcohol in their system,they may be sent home indefinitely andnotified of their disciplinary hearingdate with the expectation that they

attend the hearing.

It is advised that businesses also includesome educational information aroundthe reason for their policy, and thepotential risk of alcohol and substanceabuse at the workplace.

Employees who are aware of the risksto themselves and others are lessinclined to infringe on policy.

What is the cost and initial capitaloutlay of purchasing testingequipment?Well, companies typically recover thiswithin a few months of initiatingtesting.

The reduction in absenteeism andalcohol related incidents almostimmediately brings about a return oninvestment.

It is our experience that very feworganisations, and certainly none withmore than a handful of employees,don't have someone within theirworkforce who functions under theinfluence of alcohol.

Usually, these numbers reducedramatically purely on implementationof a policy, and always onimplementation of testing.

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Readers and students will find the text easy to read and the illustrations

easy to follow.

It will also be valuable to the list of “must read” and reference

publications of chief executive officers, engineers and other top

managers who often have a responsibility for the health and safety of

the workers in their enterprise.

Universities and other tertiary educational institutions will find the book

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Dr Dicky Els is a Lead IndependentConsultant in CGF. He specialises in

Workplace Wellness and focusespredominantly on strategy development,programme design and evaluation of

outcome-based health promotionprogrammes.

Jené Palmer is a shareholder and executivedirector of CGF. Her areas of expertise arebusiness leadership, strategy development,

financial management, businessoptimisation, board evaluations and

associated corporate governance matters. Sheadvises boards on turnarounds, corporate

governance, risk management, strategy andperformance management.

•

Assessing the value of workplace occupational wellnessIn big corporates, it is often the Boardwho is responsible for overseeing andmonitoring the execution of theorganisation’s strategic plan by, interalia, driving a culture of accountabilitythrough appropriate and transparentreporting and disclosure.

In today’s increasingly competitivebusiness environment, stakeholders aredemanding more information on thesocial and ethics risks facing theorganisation.

Integrated reporting requires greateremphasis being placed on providingfeedback on the organisation’s use andimpact of its capitals, which include thefinancial, manufacturing, intellectual,human, natural and social andrelational capitals. However, some ofthese capitals are intangible anddifficult to quantify, and consequentlydon’t get the focussed reporting thatthey deserve.

INTEGRATED REPORTS FAILURE ONWORKPLACE WELLNESS

While most integrated reports includeinformation on human capital such astheir core competencies, capabilities,experience and skills developmentinitiatives, they generally fail to reporton workplace wellness indicators.

Integrated reports normally alsoinclude disclosures pertaining tooccupational health and safetyinitiatives, human resourcesdevelopment and traditional HIV/Aidsprogrammes, but very few integratedreports refer to the value of, and risksassociated with, workplace wellness andeffective disease management.

MEASURING WORKPLACE WELLNESS

The value of workplace wellnessprogrammes can only really beappreciated when the outcomes ofthese programmes are measured andevaluated in the context of theorganisation’s strategic objectives.

Identifying and regularly measuringworkplace wellness metrics such asgroup risk insurance claims, onsitehealth care, presenteeism andabsenteeism costs as well as relatedchanges in work performance,functional capacity and quality of lifeofemployees, will better inform healthrisk mitigation strategies andorganisational development processestailored to add value to the business.

Understanding employee health risksand accurately quantifying theirassociated costs, is essential todeveloping workplace wellnessobjectives which support theorganisation’s strategic objectives.

HEALTH RISKS OF EMPLOYEES

By measuring the employee healthrisks (such as inadequate exercise,unhealthy diets, smoking, obesity, poorsleep and substance abuse) andcomparing them with the costs of non-communicable diseases (such ascardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer,chronic respiratory diseases, mental andmuscular skeletal disorders); theorganisation can gather managementinformation critical to optimisinghuman capital management.

Where workplace wellness metrics canbe accurately monetised, whichincludes tracking non-financial trendsof employees’ behaviour, relationshipsand their performance; these measuresall demonstrate the impact of effectualworkplace wellness programmes.

RAISING THE STANDARD

The business case for workplacewellness is realised when financial andnon-financial management objectivesare aligned, integrated and effectivelymanaged. While there is no ‘one sizefits all’ approach to workplace wellnessprogrammes, these managementinterventions should, as far as possible,be benchmarked to those of industrypeers and at the very least, importantphysical and mental wellness metricsshould be measured, tracked andanalysed. This benchmarkedinformation can be used to establishorganisation-wide transformationinitiatives and evaluate the impact andeffectiveness of specific workplacewellness programme interventions.

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELLNESS

Enlightened organisations adopt acombination of curative (diseasemanagement), preventative and healthpromotion (wellness management)interventions. By embracing a holisticintegrated workplace wellnessmanagement and reporting approach,organisations can broaden their viewson human capital management and theextent to which its preserves, createsand promotes business value.

It is well-known that an integratedworkplace wellness strategy createssignificant value when managementinterventions involve several aspects ofthe business such as occupationalhealth and safety, human capitaldevelopment, employee benefits andcorporate social responsibility. As such,benchmarked workplace wellnessprogrammes should incorporate andcapture information pertaining tomulti-dimensional aspects of workplacewellness, including the prevalence forcommunicable and non-communicablediseases, health and safety risks,organisational climate and the physicaland mental health status of employees.Such information should be analysed in


•

the context of the organisation’s socialand ethics risks and their (potential)impact communicated to materialstakeholders.

Importantly, the outcomes and theactions taken to address the potentialnegative impacts of these risks, shouldalso be disclosed in the organisation’sannual integrated report.

DECISIONS MUST BE MONITORED

The organisation’s health and wellnessmetrics also inform organisationalchange management processes. Leadersin the organisation must consider andmonitor the ripple effect of theirdecisions and how these decisionsinfluence organisational behaviour andemployee wellness (and consequentlybusiness outcomes).

For example, organisationalrestructuring and downsizing initiativesoften result in job redesigns, re-assignments, retrenchments, differentbusiness processes and the

re-distribution of certain managerialduties. These volatile situationstypically introduce additional stressorsinto the workplace environment whichmay negatively impact employeewellness and ultimately human capitalperformance.

In these circumstances, well-designedworkplace wellness metrics can helpprovide leaders with the informationthey need to make informedinvestment decisions regarding theallocation of resources to workplacewellness programmes specifically aimedat countering work stress and increasedjob demands.

This management informationbecomes even more important whenorganisational change is driven bypositive intentions and aimed atincreasing efficiency, optimisingperformance and employeeengagement and maximising talentretention.

As the speed of change continues to

increase - and as more industriesbecome more complex with theintroduction of the Fourth IndustrialRevolution and the advent of “cyber-physical systems” - the requirement tounderstand the benefits of leveragingworkplace wellness programmes tocreate value for the organisationbecomes even more important.

CONCLUSION

Stakeholder communicationprogrammes should therefore ensurethat critical workplace wellnessinformation is timeously andtransparently disclosed, especiallyduring times of organisationaltransformation.

Moreover, employers should be able todemonstrate how their workplacewellness programmes promote socialcohesion and help the organisation tomanage its social and ethics risks byreducing ill health, changing behaviourand developing a culture of wellness.


ARE YOU MEETING ALL OCCUPATIONALAND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES?

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By the time you read this it will be close to winter again andI believe most of us will be wondering where the weeks havegone! Remember winter has its own challenges in terms ofhazards and risks on site. Please make sure your riskassessments reflect the changes in temperature, and to thepeople in our winter rainfall regions, please consider the wetconditions as well!

RENEWAL OF SAQA RECOGNITION

During the last quarter of 2017 SAQA re-audited theInstitute of Safety Management in order to determinewhether we still comply with their requirements to be arecognised professional body. We satisfied their requirementsand our period of recognition is now extended for the nextfive years.

Joep and Leighton attended the SAQA Professional BodyForum on 27 of March where new certificates where handedto 47 professional bodies that have also been re-approvedand seven new certificates were also issued. Thank you to theteam whose dedicated work made this possible!

RE-ELECTION OF IOSM NATIONAL COUNCIL

We have come to the end of another two year cycle and it isagain time to re-elect the IOSM National Council. By thetime you read this we will most probably be well into thenomination and election process and your new Council andoffice bearers will be introduced at the AGM that will takeplace at A-OHSExpo 2018, Gallagher Estate on 16:00 the22nd of May. Please join us for the AGM. It is always goodto see one another face to face!

TRAINING

Our Health and Safety Representative Course is nearing it'send and the first batch of learners should be finishing theirprocess soon. The uptake on the upskilling training havebeen very disappointing, but IOSM will keep on tryinginitiatives to provide opportunity for growth to members inorder to improve the skills of members in the OHSprofession.

PROFESSIONAL INPUTS

The IOSM has recently been invited to participate in anumber of bodies and initiatives, dealing with various OHSissues.

The IOSM as a Voluntary Association (VA) of the

•

Joep Joubert

Message fromthe President

SACPCMP have now also been invited onto theirQualifications Committee that will be evaluating tertiaryqualifications in the Construction Environment. We are alsoinvolved in a process to redefine the registration criteria forCHA practitioners.

UNISA has invited a number of IOSM's members toparticipate in their industry forum again.

We have a member on one of the SABS technicalcommittees for PPE and the IOSM has also been invited to athink tank on CHS issues hosted by the CBE, DoL andSACPCMP to be held on the 25th of May.

We are really looking forward to all the opportunities topromote professionalism in OHS, especially the think tank of25 May.

We'll give you some feedback later.

With that it is goodbye again, see you at A-OHSExpo 2018at Gallagher Estate from 22 to 24 May!!

E-mail: [email protected] / Tel +27 12 661 5166 / Website: www.iosm.co.za

Contact IOSME-mail: [email protected]

Tel +27 12 661 5166Website: www.iosm.co.za

UPDATE YOUR IOSM MEMBERSHIP DETAILS


•

There is a general lack of understanding that there is adifference between a Baseline Risk Assessment (BRA) and aHazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA) and thatthe OHSAct and the Construction Regulations refer andprescribe requirements related to this difference.

The 1996 MHSAct's section 11(1) states that "every employermust (a) identify the hazards to health or safety to which employeesmay be exposed while they are at work and (b) assess the risks tohealth or safety to which employees may be exposed while they are atwork". This lead to the "HIRA" term being invented and soHIRA became the popular reference for a risk assessment.

The 2003 and now the 2014 OHSAct's ConstructionRegulation 9(1)(a) follows similar risk assessment wording,being "the identification of the risks and hazards to which personsmay be exposed to", and 9(1)(b), "an analysis and evaluation ofthe risks and hazards identified based on a documented method" ...which is to be a part of a documented Health and SafetyPlan.

Both these requirements require the risk assessment to berelative to the employee or person exposed. Even theSIMRAC's Mining Occupational Health Practice Handbookstates Baseline HIRAs are geographical area, process oractivity, or occupation task based assessments, which are allhuman hazard focused and as such are not an overall riskbased baseline risk assessment.

This means that HIRAs are Job, Task or Issue Based RiskAssessments as they do not incorporate all the potentialrisks that a baseline risk assessment should highlight.

OHSAct's 2014 Construction Regulation 5(1)(a) requiresand prescribes a different risk assessment context, namely "aclient must prepare a Baseline Risk Assessment for the intendedconstruction work project". The term baseline risk assessment isnot defined in the legislation, so there is plenty confusion andmisunderstanding about what a Baseline Risk Assessmentactually is.

The Baseline Risk Assessment description above states thata BRA has to be performed and related to the intendedconstruction work project, which infers that constructionproject stages or the project management stages apply as

described by the SACPCMP, the statutory registration bodyfor construction OHS people (CHS practitioners).

The 6 SACPCMP project management stages are:

• Stage 1 - Project Initiation and Briefing

• Stage 2 - Concept and Feasibility

• Stage 3 - Design Development

• Stage 4 - Tender Documentation and Procurement

• Stage 5 - Construction Documentation and Management

• Stage 6 - Project Close-Out

(Note: The SACPCMP CHS Agent is professionallyregistered to cover all 6 project stages where the CHSManagers and Officers are permitted to cover stages 4 to 6only).

The question is what is a Baseline Risk Assessment? It is notdefined in the OHS legislation and the internet wordeddefinitions are confusing and sometimes refer to a BaselineHIRA without any clarity or understanding given. Forexample look at this internet definition "Baseline riskassessment: This is the initial assessment of risk in a workplace. It isa broad assessment and includes all activities taking place on site. Abaseline HIRA is done to establish a risk profile and is used toprioritise action programmes for issue-based risk assessments". Whatthey have described is an activities/task based HIRA which isactually a task or issue based risk assessment, and not aBaseline Risk Assessment. (Note that all identified hazardsscored in HIRAs can provide a risk profile).

Furthermore a Baseline Risk Assessment is not defined in theSANS 31000 Risk Management Standard nor in the newISO 45001 OHS Management System Standard, but thedescribed OHS Management Framework in this OHSstandard refers to internal and external context risk issueswhich impacts on the scope of any OHS ManagementSystem

This being the case, is the Baseline Risk Assessment toconsider or cover the internal context, external context orboth contexts? In terms of a client's construction workproject, many external aspects will impact on and apply to aproject, while all the internal context aspects will apply.

Risk Assessments - Baseline vs HIRA

By Leighton Bennett, Pr.CHSA, SHE & Risk Management Consultant,

Benrisk Consulting

EXTERNAL CONTEXTo Politicalo Economyo Socialo Technologyo Environmento Legal

INTERNAL CONTEXTo Peopleo Equipment o Process/ Practices/ Policieso Materialso Environment o Legalo Financial

Table 1


•

What are the aspects which should be considered in relationto the internal and external contexts? As an examplePEPMELF* and PESTEL are suggested as baseline riskassessment brainstorming guide words. (See Table 1).

In terms of a client's construction work project, manyexternal aspects will impact on and apply to a project, whileall the internal context aspects will apply

Returning to the question of what is a baseline riskassessment, I propose the following Baseline RiskAssessment (BRA) definition to introduce some commonunderstanding:

This definition indicates that a BRA and HIRA are not thesame as the BRA process is focused to consider all the

possible and potential risks that are anticipated to impact ona business, a company, a project or on construction work, asrequired by Construction Regulation 5(1)(a).

Furthermore if we consider the Construction Regulation5(1)(b) and preparing a site specific Health and SafetySpecification incorporated the CR 5(1)(a) risk assessmentinputs. This Health and Safety Specification should thereforealso cover risk aspects related to the project feasibility anddesign of the construction project and design risks of theconstruction work required and also the construction relatedactivities risk, and not just the HIRA related human hazardissues as seen in most of the Health and Safety Plandocumentation at construction sites.

CONCLUSION

A Baseline Risk Assessment is a high level "helicopterview" risk assessment of the whole situation's scope ofpotential risks related to all the likely risks that may impacton a business, a company, a project or construction workbeing assessed, while a HIRA's focus is on the hazards relatedto human work and job task OHS issues.

A Baseline Risk Assessment (BRA) and a HIRA are notthe same type of risk assessment as their riskassessment focuses are different.

NOTE: The PEPMELF* internal context baseline risk assessmentmethod was published in "Risk Assessments - a guide tounderstanding the basics" by the Safety First Association in 2006.

E-mail: [email protected] / Tel +27 12 661 5166 / Website: www.iosm.co.za

A Baseline Risk Assessment means a high levelcomprehensive risk assessment performed to identify,

analyse and evaluate a wide range of and the current statusof the risks impacting on and associated with the enterprise,

company, business, project or process being assessed, inorder to establish a Risk Profile,

.... and then extending it to managing risk ... by adding

& then on evaluation permit implementing suitable riskmanagement measures to mitigate the assessed risks to an

acceptable or tolerable risk appetite level.

Leighton Bennett, Benrisk Consulting

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•

date with what we are trying to achievein the industry as an Association.

It will also allow for a flat and openchannel all our regional members toengage directly with the Exco.

SAPEMA WEBSITE

Our webpage is currently undergoing afacelift to maintain the samemomentum of our Association'schanges.

Keeping up with technology and socialmedia networks is key to the success ofkeeping our members and industry upto date. This is a fundamental buildingblock for the marketing of SAPEMA.

The new and upgraded webpage willgo live early May, before the A-OSHExpo.

PARTICIPATION AT EXHIBITIONS

In order to gain the traction we need indifferent areas and spheres of ourindustry, we have signed a mutuallybeneficial agreement with SpecialisedExhibitions who manage a number ofpopular exhibitions - A-OSH, ElectraMining and Madex to name but a few.By doing this we are able to bring morevalue to our SAPEMA members whenengaging or participating at theseevents.

SYMPOSIUM AT CITY OF CAPE TOWN

At the end of 2017, SAPEMA held aStandards and SpecificationsSymposium for the City of Cape TownCouncil.

As they say in the classics, "Time flieswhen you having fun!" But really,where did 2017 go???

Who would have thought in 2017 thatby the beginning of 2018 we wouldhave a new President, and who wouldhave thought that our previouspresident would be going to court tobattle corruption charges!

So in my mind - " If nothing everchanged, there would be no butterflies"rings true to my ears! Change is also animportant part of life's evolution.

Here are some of SAPEMA changesthat are adding to Association'sevolution:

SAPEMA BECOMES AN NPC

During 2015/2016 the SAPEMAEXCO made the decision to pursue thechange of the Association becoming anNPC ... to eventually become an NPO.We are proud to confirm thatSAPEMA is now a Registered NPCwith CIPC and we have now alsoreceived our tax exemption certificate.

DISSOLUTION OF REGIONAL BRANCH

In November 2017, the Excomotivated the request for the structureof regional branches to be dissolved.The reason behind this was to have aunited face to our industry. While ourInland Region was always active, ourKZN Regional Branch battled toreplicate what our Inland Region wasable to do.

Regional meetings will continue to beheld, however, these meetings will beguided and managed by our Exco.

By doing this, we will be able to ensurethat all our members are kept up to

Chairman’s report

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SAPEMA

We were overwhelmed by the interestand interactive energy that wasreceived from the delegates.

The topics that we presented were: • Senior Professional Officer: Safety

Corporate Services • SAPEMA Who we are and what we

stand for - Deleane Luzzatto(National Sales Manager @ RebelSafety Gear)

• Hand Protection and GloveMarkings - Jarryd Swanepoel(Product Consultant @ UVEX)

• Foot Protection and ISO/SANS20345 - Derick Els (TechnicalTraining Officer at BBF Group)

• Workwear and Reflective Wear -Andre Eloff (National Sales Managerthen @ Marburg)

• Eyewear and Safety Spec Markings -Jarryd Swanepoel (ProductConsultant @ UVEX)

• Importance of Buying Local -LebogangMokwele (Public SectorSpecialist @ BBF Group)

The importance of these key PPEtopics and the standards andspecifications relevant to these itemsmotivated the delegates to ask relevantand engaging questions to ourpresenting members.

The delegates consisted of City of CapeTown Procurement Mangers, SHEQOfficers and HR to name a few.

The Symposium was organised bySAPEMA, together with the help and

by Deleane Luzzatto, Chairman SAPEMA



(L to R) Michael Fortune, Imtiyaaz Oliver, Clyde Beattie, Deleane Luzzatto, Jarryd Swanepoel,Stephanie Petersen, Lerbogan Mokwele , Derick Els, Alwyn Marais, Denzil Bennet

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Contact SAPEMA: Secretary: Helena van GreunenEmail: [email protected] Tel: 063 442 9935071 602 1456 Website: www.sapema.org

assistance of Alwyn Marais, SeniorProfessional Officer: Safety CorporateServices for CCT.

"I wish, to extend a huge thank you toSAPEMA for the high quality papersdelivered and for an event that was wellorganised and successfully executed. Itrust that it will become a fixed eventon our calendars henceforth", saidAlwyn Marais.

Having held this event in the heart ofCape Town, with such a prominent enduser, namely the Cape Town CityCouncil, and even considering that

SAPEMA only signed up its very firstwestern Cape member this year; thisevent has proved just how important itis for us as SAPEMA to educate andshare the knowledge that we have,being the specialists in our areas ofexpertise in PPE.

We need to ensure that our end usersget the right product for the rightapplication and ultimately keep themsafe while doing their daily jobs.

We would like this initiative to roll outto other regions and other key end-

AGM

We held our Annual General Meetingin March this year which was wellattended by both Inland and KZNmembers.We are happy to announce our newlyappointed 2018 EXCO Team:Deleane Luzzatto - REBEL Safety Gear- ChairmanClyde Beattie - UVEX - Vice ChairmanRavesh Rama - Rama Group


Mike Fremantle - SafecoLoren Pearson - Du PontAndre Eloff - DromexRani Naidoo - 3MRuaan Breedt - Quality Safety Tracy- Ann Killian - SI Quip

As we embark on our exciting, yet everchallenging journey, we welcome anymembers who wish to join in and offertheir expertise to any of our manyprojects.

We would also like to urge any PPEsuppliers or manufacturers, who are notmembers to join SAPEMA and makethe industry a safer place!

So until next time, I will leave you withthese fine words " The Secret of Change isto focus all of your energy not on fighting theold, but building on the new." SocratesAlwyn Marais, Senior Professional Officer:

Safety Corporate Services for CCT

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News from SAIOHSAIOH STRATEGIC PLANNINGSESSION

February 2018

The Southern African Institute forOccupational Hygiene (SAIOH) held astrategic planning session on 8February 2018, which was wellattended by SAIOHCouncil members,allowing many varied and importantprojects to be considered.

The session revealed that the Presidentsand their respective Councils of the pastthree years really embraced thestrategic goals set in 2015, withbetween 40 and 90% completion ofthe past three years' objectives.

Finalising these objectives is ongoingwith management, and priorities havebeen set to attain full delivery.

The first SAIOH Council meeting ofthe year was held a day later, on 9January 2018.

There has been a change in Councilportfolios and several new projects havebeen added.

These will enhance SAIOH'sorganisation and provide more efficientservice delivery to SAIOH membersand stakeholders alike:

• The formation of a SAIOH MiningForum will help SAIOH to betterunderstand the mining industry andthe challenges faced by its mine-based members.

It also aims to improve support anddevelopment for these members.

SAIOH Council considers thisinitiative to be one of the mostimportant developments in manyyears, and the official launch of theMining Forum will take placeduring the 2018 SAIOH AnnualConference.

• The SAIOH ethics, complaints andinvestigation procedures are alsoundergoing major changes.

It is envisaged that the newstreamlined system will allowSAIOH to ensure that non-compliances with regard to ethicalpractice and poor professional servicedelivery are fairly investigated and,more importantly, that offenders aresuitably punished.

Save the Dates - 23 to 26 October 2018

SAIOH Annual Conference -

Planning for the 2018 Conference at Champagne Sports Resort in the CentralDrakensberg is forging ahead. The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) branch of SAIOHwill host this year's conference, and the programme is currently being developedunder the leadership of the KZN branch committee. The theme of the conferenceis"Raising the bar in Occupational Hygiene: Informed control reduces workerexposures".

Two excellent Professional Development Courses (PDCs) have been confirmed todate, where international experts in their respective fields of speciality willworkshop important topics:

PDC 1- Practical measurement of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems,presented by Adrian Sims (UK), Managing Director of VENT-TECH Ltd.andmember of the Institute of LEV Engineers (ILEVE); the Institute is accredited forLEV design, and commissioning, testing and installation of LEV systems. Adrianhas presented British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) modules on themeasurement of LEV systems proficiency training around the world.

PDC 2- Practical noise control, presented by Dennis P Driscoll (USA), Presidentand Principal Consultant of Associates in Acoustics Inc., Past President of theNational Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA); and registered ProfessionalEngineer and a Board Certified Noise Control Engineer. Dennis is one of the mostpopular PDC facilitators in the USA and presents this PDC annually due to thehigh demand!

SAIOH is considering the possibility of an additional PDC, and repeating the twoPDCs which are already confirmed, should there be enough interest frommembers.

The Conference will run for a day longer than usual, to accommodate the officiallaunch of the SAIOH Mining Forum. This will be a day of acknowledgement forSAIOH's mine-based colleagues and the value they add to the occupationalhygieneprofession. The format and content of the launch programme are stillunder construction, but SAIOH is pleased to announce thatAnglo American willbe sponsoring Brian Davies, a renowned Australian occupational hygienistworking in the mining sector, to be the keynote presenter.

The conference draft programme is under development and will be announcedwithin the next few months. Please save the dates of 23 to 26 October 2018 forthe SAIOH flagship event of the year: PDCs (23 October);the launch of theSAIOH Mining Forum and associated activities, in parallel with a second offeringof the PDCs (24 October); and the main conference (25 - 26 October).

Source: www.safarinow.com

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE - SAIOH


• The roll-out of the regional structureto enable SAIOH to better servemembers across South Africa, andbeyond our borders to neighbouringcountries, will begin in earnest.

It was decided that, due to thevolume of work related to this andthe need to replicate the system inall three regions, SAIOH will trialone region as a pilot.

The learnings and outcomes canthen be transferred as a workablesystem to the other two regions.

Job descriptions for the RegionalCoordinators have been drafted andthe posts will be advertised soon.

• The introduction of a new portfolio:Policy and Planning - under theownership of the SAIOH Presidentand Vice President.

This portfolio will ensure thatsystems are developed anddocumented to ensure constant andquality management of SAIOH as abusiness concern, with tracked KPIsand deliverables.

This will also encompass strictfinancial management to ensure thatSAIOH offers value for money to itsmembers.

SAVE THE DATES - A-OSH EXPO 2018

22 to 24 May 2018

SAIOH will once again beparticipating in and exhibiting at A-OSH Expo 2018, Africa's leadingoccupational health and safetyexhibition, which will take place from22 to 24 May 2018, at the GallagherConvention Centre in Johannesburg.

This year's exhibition will highlightthree crucial aspects of occupationalhealth and safety:

• attaining legal compliance

• making health and safety part ofculture at work

• empowering employees aroundworkplace health and safety issues.

SAIOH extends a warm invitation toall members and non-members with anactive interest in the occupationalhygiene profession to visit the SAIOHstand during the exhibition.

You will have the opportunity to meetsome of the SAIOH Council membersand administrative staff and to obtain

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OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE - SAIOH

ErratumThe editorial on the Safety FirstAssociation in the annual SafetyDirectory failed to mention RayStrydom as one of its volunteers. Rayhad in fact played a large role in theAssociation. His passion for theAssociation spanned many years, fromhis assistance with writing copy for theSafety Cartoon Booklets, to his term asChairman.We apologise for this omission.

more information about SAIOH. Welook forward to seeing many of youthere!

Report by: Claudina Nogueira, SAIOHCouncil Member Portfolios: Liaison andCommunication & Marketing e-mail: [email protected]


while the moisture and pressure of theair may also vary, making it impossibleto determine theperfect proportions.

THE BURNING FLAME

When the combustion temperature ofthe flame increases, the average energyof the electromagnetic radiation givenoff by the flame also increases.

As the primary component, when thesupply of oxygen increases, completecombustion takes place and less black-radiating soot is produced, creatingenough energy to excite and ionize gasmolecules in the flame.

The temperature of the flame varies. A candle flame has at a temperature of1000O Celsius while a Dicyanoacetyleneflame is 4990O Celsius, more than fourtimes that of the candle flame.

Flames can be divided into two types -the laboratory and the industrial flame.The main difference between these twotypes of flames is that the informationacquired from one may not necessarilybe precisely the information acquiredfrom the other.

Lab conditions are superior to industrialconditions and the quantity of materialbeing tested differs greatly, this will nodoubt give different conclusions.

The complexity of the combustionprocess and what each type of flamecommunicates requires great skills andknowledge.

This underlying factor was one of themain discussions amongst the delegateswho attended the SADC CombustionSeminar.

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Combustion takes place when gas,liquid, biomass or fossils react withoxygen in the air and create heat. Theprocess requires three main elements;fuel, oxygen and the source of ignition.

Combustion can be likened to anexplosion - a controlled explosion thattakes place in a monitored space at aprojected time.

"There are three "T's" for combustion, theyare; Temperature, Turbulence and Time"explained the late Dr Tony Biddlestone.

The amount of heat above the ignitiontemperature must be efficient forimpact. By definition, combustion is areaction in which fuel reacts withoxygen or another oxidant, therefore,for optimum combustion, the preciseproportions of fuel and oxygen have tobe thoroughly mixed. This mixture hasto be given sufficient time for theburning process to be completed.Perfect combustion takes place whenthe three "T's" have been closelyfollowed.

"To state that oxygen supportscombustion is an understatement" saidRiaan van der Walt during hispresentation at the SADC CombustionSeminar, hosted by SAGA on the 27th - 28th March 2018.

Insufficient oxygen or oxygen that isnot properly mixed with the fuel canresult in an incomplete combustionprocess due to inadequately burnt fuel.

However, the mixing and burning ofexactly the correct proportions of fueland oxygen is only theoretical.

In industries, most fuels vary inchemistry, often minute by minute

The fundamentals of combustion

The South African Qualification andCertification Committee of Gas(SAQCC Gas) has been officiallyappointed and mandated by theDepartment of Labour to oversee theregistration of gas practitioners on theirbehalf, within Natural Gas, LiquefiedPetroleum Gas, Air Conditioning &Refrigeration Gas and CompressedIndustrial & Medial gases.

SAQCC Gas has four memberassociations; the Liquefied PetroleumGas Safety Association of South Africa(LPGSASA), the Southern AfricanCompressed Gasses Associations(SACGA), the South AfricanRefrigeration & Air ConditioningContractors Association (SARACCA),and the Southern African GasAssociation (SAGA).

WHY WE WORK TOGETHER

The main objective of the SAQCC Gasis to ensure the safe use of gas in SouthAfrica, by ensuring all gas practitionersare trained, skilled and registered withthe pertinent association governingtheir specific gas type.

LPGSASA governs the use of LiquefiedPetroleum Gas (LPG), includinginstallations, distribution, hardware andretailing of LPG and gas appliances.The SACGA is responsible for themedical and industrial gases industry,which includes gas producers,manufacturers of equipment, cylindertest stations, pipeline installers andvalve manufacturers. SARACCA, onthe other hand, oversees the field ofrefrigeration and air conditioning gases,encompassing contractors who havejointly and individually agreed to a setof governing standards whilst operatingin free competition against each other.SAGA ensures that all industrystakeholders in the methane-basedenvironment provide safe and efficientdownstream operations to users in thedomestic, commercial and industrialmarkets. This includes administrationof the Safe Gas Equipment Scheme(SGES).

PRESSURE EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS

The four associations tackle varioussegments, placing attention on variousindustries within gas to ensure marketsuccess and the safety of all gas users in

southern Africa. The four associationsadhere to the Pressure EquipmentRegulation (PER) which outlines theduties of the different role-players, frommanufacturers through to users.

These regulations set out therequirements regarding the design,manufacture, operation, repair,modification, maintenance, inspectionand testing of pressure equipment.

A regulative allianceThese regulations also require aCertificate of Conformity (COC) to beissued for all gas installations. In termsof the Occupational Health and SafetyAct, 1993, the PER also requirespersons handling the installation of anygas systems to undergo specific trainingand to be registered with SAQCC Gasthrough one of the four associations.


Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPGas) hasplayed a silent role in energisingeconomies in southern Africa. Largelyuntapped, LPGas has the potential topower Africa, and more specificallysouthern Africa as a sustainable, safeenergy medium. LPGas could be anaffordable, reliable answer to energyshortages.

The Vision in Energy Event (VIE) wascreated out of the need to drive LPGasawareness. VIE, through its ongoingdelivery of world class speakers andpanellists, has grown into one of thecontinent's premier annual gatheringsfor key LPGas industry players.

VIE 2018 - A PARTICIPATION ANDKNOWLEDGE SHARING PLATFORM

VIE, in collaboration with the LiquefiedPetroleum Gas Safety Association ofSouth Africa (LPGSASA), will play acrucial role in 2018, shaping the energydevelopment landscape for Sub-Saharan Africa which is represented bygovernment, corporates, NGOs,SMMEs, suppliers, retailers andconsumers.

The conference will be held in Sandton,and will focus on shaping the destiny ofthe industry to trigger solid growthstrategies for the greater southern

African region.

"TheVIE/LPGSASA Conference aimsto disrupt the current status quo in theenergy mix and focus talks anddiscussion on deliverables in makingLPGas a considerably bigger role-player." - Kevin Robertson, CEO,LPGSASA

WLPGA - BRINGING THE GLOBALSTAGE TO SOUTHERN AFRICA

The World LPG Association (WLPGA)serves as the authoritative voice for theglobal LPGas industry. The primaryparticipation goal of the WLPGA, is todrive demand for LPGas while,promoting compliance with goodbusiness and safety practices.

The WLPGA in association with theLPGSASA will host various discussionpoints around woman in the LPGasindustry, encouraging women toparticipate in the industry.

Visit www.visionerinenergy.co.za tosecure your participation or contactPenny Seaketso,[email protected],for sponsorship opportunities.

The vision for future energy

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The Department of Labour publishedthe Pressure Equipment Regulations(PER) as part of the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act. The SouthAfrican Qualification CertificationCommittee for Gas (SAQCC Gas) hasbeen accredited by the Department ofLabour to register authorized persons.The South African Refrigeration & AirConditioning Contractors Association(SARACCA), as a member of thatcommittee, is tasked with registeringrefrigeration and air conditioningpractitioners.

According to the Pressure EquipmentRegulations (PER), refrigerators and airconditioning units that use refrigerantgas should meet the specified standardsto ensure safety. According to theseregulations only trained, skilled andregistered persons may carry out anywork within HVAC.

Recently, it was brought to theattention of SARACCA that asignificant number of contractors in theNorthern Cape and Free State areawere using unregistered workers toundertake installations, maintenanceand repairs on major projects for boththe public and the private sector. Theseunregistered installers would not have aCertificate of Conformity (COC) asrequired by the PER.

Some of the illegally installed facilitiesin Kimberley include Sol PlaatjieUniversity, Diamond Pavilion, NorthCape mall, Griep Hospital, HeartHospital, Kimberley and Narco DayHospital including a majority ofsupermarkets and food stores.

Installations undertaken by unskilledpersons have proven to be dangerousand hazardous for both the installerand the general public.

LEGAL DOCUMENTATION

A Certificate of Conformity (COC) forGas installations is a legal documentwhich must be obtained whenever agas system is installed, modified orrepaired and should be retained forpossible future requirement. OnlyRegistered Practitioners may issue aCOC. When the refrigeration system isa category II or higher, as defined bySANS 347, an Approved InspectionAuthority (AIA) is required to examine

and to countersign the certificate ofconformity issued by the gaspractitioner.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR CALLS FORCOMPLIANCE

When the Department of Labour(DOL) Inspectors make their officialvisit, the end user will be requested tohand over required documents,including the COC. End-users musttherefore always remember to request acompleted COC upon completion ofevery installation and modification.

In June 2017, SARACCA conducted atraining session with DOL Inspectorsto educate and raise competency intheir HVAC industry inspections. Theinspectors are therefore properly trainedto conduct efficient inspections andhold responsible parties liable for any

non-compliance discovered.

ENSURING EMPLOYEE COMPLIANCE

Contracting companies should only useinstallers who are trained, skilled andregistered. Often companies take theresponsibility of having their employeestrained and registered. This is a greatinitiative for employee morale and ithelps build loyal and dedicatedemployees. This also means that thereis a wider circle of qualified personswithin the HVAC industry. However,employers need to note that registeringan employee at its own expense doesnot guarantee that the concernedemployee will stay with the companythroughout the duration of his/herregistration, and should the employeeresign, the company cannot strip theemployee of their registration.

Working to expand HVAC compliance


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In this series of articles in NationalSafety, we will publish some of theinformation shared amongst members.

EMIRATES SUICIDE ATTEMPTSubmitted by Ehi Iden, NigeriaA crew member of an Emirates Airlinesaircraft due to depart Uganda’sEntebbe International Airportsustained life threatening injuries afterjumping off the emergency door. TheEmirates Airline Flight had justdelivered passengers and was preparingto load others passengers when theincident happened. The crew member,was immediately evacuated and takento hospital. The exact cause of theincident was not yet clear, but some eyewitnesses cited possible suicide.

EPILEPSY INDUCED ACCIDENT

Submitted by Sam Kadiri, Nigeria

Five people died in a vehicle accident inIlorin, Kwara State capital Nigeria on16th March when an epileptic driverhad a seizure and rammed into anoncoming vehicle. Four of the victimswere students. The students hadnoticed that he was behaving strangelybehind the wheel so forced him to stopso that they could get out.Unfortunately, they were encouragedby passers-by to get back into the taxibecause the driver said he would gohome and take care of himself

immediately he dropped off thestudents. However, after a fewkilometers, the driver suffered a seizureand the cab collided with an oncomingtrailer instantly killing all the fiveoccupants. This accident is due toperception of risk by the populance andpoor safety awareness - anotheravoidable accident.

CLEANING PRODUCTS DAMAGEWOMEN’S LUNGS

Submitted by Kibor Keitany, Kenya

A study from Norway’s university ofBergen has shown that regular use ofcleaning sprays can damage women’slungs as much as a pack of cigarettes aday. The short-term effect on cleaningproducts is already well known toresult in asthma and other breathingproblems, the long term effects are notwell documented. Scientists advisedavoiding the products and usingmicrofibre cloths and water. A study in2017 found that nurses who useddisinfectants to clean surfaces also hadincreased risk of developing lungdisease.

NANOTECHNOLOGY SAFETY

Submitted by Sam Kadiri, Nigeria

NIOSH has posted four new postersoffering tips on the design and use ofexposure controls for nanomaterialproduction, post processing, and use.

They list options to reduce exposures to

nanomaterials based on the physicalform, and they providerecommendations to minimiseexposures which includes, handling andweighing of nanomaterials whenscooping, pouring, and dumping;harvesting nanomaterials and cleaningout reactors after materials areproduced; processing nanomaterialsafter production and working withnanomaterials of different forms,including dry powders or liquids

Engineered nanomaterials areintentionally produced to have at leastone primary dimension less than 100nanometers (nm), and they are used inareas that include medicine, electronics,biomaterials, and consumer products.

The workers at sites using or makingengineered nanomaterials may inhalenanoparticles on a daily basis, posing apotential respiratory hazard.

NIOSH Director Dr. John Howardsaid: "The information contained inthese new workplace design solutiondocuments provide employers withstrategic steps towards making suretheir employees stay safe whilehandling nanomaterials."

GLOBAL ONLINE ACCESS TO LEGALRESEARCH AND TRAININGSubmitted by Ehi Iden, Nigeria

GOALI - Global Online Access toLegal Information and training fordeveloping countries. This newprogramme provides free or low-costonline access to legal research andtraining in the developing world.

OFF-THE-RACK ORTHOTIC STILETTOS

Submitted by Oluwatobi Durowoju, Nigeria

A recent study investigated whether anoff-the-rack orthotic stiletto could alterpressure and comfort scores in theforefoot, arch and heel. Twenty-twowomen participated. Peak pressure andpressure-time integral for orthoticstilettos with built-in metatarsal pad,heel cup and arch support wasmeasured; standard stilettos withoutinlays; and trainers. Comfort wasrecorded during 3 × 3 working days.

The Occupational Safety and Health Africa Foundation, known as OSHAfrica is aPan-African Occupational Safety and Health organisation. Governed by a boardof trustees, it was registered in 2017 to bring together Occupational Safety andHealth professionals across the different countries and sub-regions of Africa,creating an atmosphere for collaborative work, sharing of knowledge and OSHdata.

The OSHAfrica idea was conceptualised at the 2015 ICOH Conference held inSeoul, South Korea. Twenty three African representatives agreed to create aunified Pan African OSH body. A WhatsApp Group called OSHAfrica wascreated and has since grown to almost 200 members actively discussingOccupational Safety and Health in Africa. OSHAfrica’s website reinforces the aimof bringing occupational health and safety activities closer to each OSHAfrican.

OSHAfrica aspires to be the African information agency on Occupational Safetyand Health. OSHAfrica has its Regional Administrative Office in Lagos, Nigeria,and sub-regional offices across all African sub-regions.

Sharing information


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The orthotic stiletto exhibited lowermetatarsal head and heel pressures thanthe standard stiletto and a long secondmetatarsal increased pressure.

The comfort in the forefoot and heelwas higher in the orthotic stiletto thanin the standard one and comfort in theforefoot was correlated to the pressure-time integral and not peak pressure.

Findings: Off-the-rack orthotic stilettoswith built-in metatarsal pad, archsupport and heel caps can lower thepressure under the heel and forefoot incomparison with a standard stiletto andcan improve comfort during everydayuse. Having a long second metatarsal isa risk factor for increased forefootpressure.

ISO 45001 IS PUBLISHED

ISO 45001 which has been published isthe world’s first international standardfor occupational health and safety.

Submitted by Gabriel Mcrighteous, Ghana -a comprehensive document onunderstanding ISO 45001.

LISTERIOSIS OUTBREAK IN SA

Submitted by Thuthula Balfour, South Africa

At a press conference on the Listeriosisoutbreak in South Africa a presentationwas given by the Minister of Health DrAaron Motsoaledi. He confirmed thatas of 02 March a total of 948 cases wereconfirmed with 180 deaths.

The sources of the outbreak wasidentified as a meat processing factory.The nature of its spread and preventionissues were discussed.

Comment from Richard Whittaker, SouthAfrica: Because the bacterium can crosscontaminate via packaging, supermarketstaff should be wearing gloves.

FOOD SAFETY

Submitted by Thamaga Thopola, SouthAfrica

A video was shared showing chickensbeing handled in an unhygienicenvironment.

PAY GAP BETWEEN GENDERSSubmitted by Ehi Iden, Nigeria

A survey of health and safetyprofessionals in the UK has revealedthat the gender pay gap is double theaverage of the general workforce.

HELICOPTER PILOTS’ VIEWS OF AIRTRAFFIC CONTROLLERRESPONSIBILITIES: A MISMATCH


Controllers and pilots must worktogether to ensure safe and efficienthelicopter flights. Subjective ratings ofpilot perception of controllerresponsibility for five key flight taskswere obtained from thirty helicopterpilots.

Three types of airspace wereinvestigated. Results indicate that there

is variation in pilot understanding ofcontroller responsibility compared tothe formal regulations that definecontroller responsibility.

The responsibility for tasks duringflight varies according to the flightrules used and airspace type.

Helicopter pilots may attributeresponsibility to controllers for taskswhen controllers have no responsibilityas defined by regulation. This variationbetween pilot perceptions of controllerresponsibility could affect safety.

LAGOS DECLARES ZERO TOLERANCE FOR WORKPLACE TRAGEDIES

Submitted by Ehi Iden, Nigeria

The Lagos State Government recently declared zero tolerance for workplacetragedies in the state. Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, HakeemDickson declared this at a news conference on ‘Vision Zero’ in Alausa, Ikeja,Lagos, Southwest after a series of incidences, such as the LP gas explosions, fireincidences, building collapse, workplace incidences, among others.

“It is in view of this that the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos StateSafety Commission, deemed it urgent to declare Zero Tolerance for workplaceincidents through various strategies one of which is ‘Lagos Vision Zero’ with thetheme: “A Mindset Change towards Zero Harm,” he said.

Dickson said the Lagos Vision Zero was a transformational approach toprevention that interpreted the Tripod stand of Safety, Health, and Wellbeing atall levels at work, saying it was borne out of the need to reduce to the barestminimum, hazards, and risks in the workplace and ensure zero injury, accident,death and promote wellbeing and health.

“Vision zero was launched globally at the XXI (21st) World Safety Congress heldin Singapore 2017 and it focuses on building capacities and raising awareness atall levels of work to cultivate a Positive Change Mindset that all injuries and illhealth caused are preventable and a belief that Zero Harm is possible. Vision Zerowill not be a destination but an on-going journey.

“Vision Zero is not about showmanship, marksmanship and definitely not aboutcensorship but about leadership, ownership and partnership with all thestakeholders in Lagos State,” he said.

Dickson said the proposed conference was a three-day programme scheduled tohold between 26 and 28 June, 2018 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island,Lagos, disclosing that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was expected to declare itopen and sign a Safety Policy Document on safety at the workplace.

“Several Plenary sessions will hold with speakers presenting papers on variousissues. At the end of the programme, it is expected that a workplace safetytemplate will be developed for the State and by extension guarantee the wellbeingof all workers in Lagos State,” he said.

The DG added that the Commission had set up Committees to work on theseven golden rules approach to realize the zero harm in workplaces, whichincluded leadership commitment, identifying hazards and creating mitigativemeasures, setting health and safety goals, ensuring a safety and health system,using safe and healthy technology, improving qualification and competence andinvest in people.

“This is a clarion call for everybody to come on board and support Lagos StateGovernment by keying into the vision so that we can reduce unsafe acts andpromote wellbeing in the workplace,” he said.


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SOLAR FARM CONSTRUCTIONSubmitted by Ehi Iden, Nigeria

Morocco is building a $9 billion solarfarm as big as Paris which willquadruple its solar power by the end of2018. The plant uses giant mirrors tofocus the sun’s rays which are thenreflected onto a high tower in thecentre of the array of mirrors. Thetower contains an oil solution that isheated by the concentrated solar raysproducing steam which powers thepower plant’s turbines. Solar energy isstored in the form of molten saltallowing electricity to be produced atnight.

Sun is one of africa’s greatest untappedresources.

HEALTH HAZARDS OF SITTING

Submitted by Dr Ramat Unuigbe, USA

We know sitting too much is bad. Butwhat exactly goes wrong in our bodieswhen we park ourselves for nearly eighthours per day? Many things, say fourexperts, who detailed a chain ofproblems from head to toe:

Organ damage - such as anoverproductive pancreas, heart diseaseand colon cancer.

Muscle degeneration - resulting inmushy abs, tight hips, limp glutes.

Leg disorders - causing poorcirculation in legs, soft bones.

Upper regions of the body also sufferwith goggy brain and strained neckand sore shoulders.

The back takes a lot of pressureresulting in an inflexible spine with diskdamage.

These problems can be countered.Employees should be made aware thatthere is a right way to sit.Recommendations include sitting withan exercise ball, even a backless stool toforce sitting up straight.

Feet should be flat on the floor.Employees should stretch each hip forat least 3 minutes at least once a day aswell as other stretch exercises. Walkingduring breaks is important, and it is agood idea to alternate between sittingand standing at workstations.

Dr Uche Enumah, Nigeria sent a videoshowing recommended exercises foravoiding ergonomic problems.

HEALTHY WORKFORCE

Submitted by Dr Folusho Alamina, Nigeria

Around a third of adults in England are damaging their health through a lack ofphysical activity.

1. One in four women and one in five men in England are defined as inactive,doing less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each week.

2. The cost of an unhealthy workforce to the UK taxpayer has been estimated atover £60 billion per year.

3 Employees who are in good health are less likely to need time off work and arelikely to be more productive.

4. A lack of physical activity and poor eating habits leads to an unhealthyworkforce. A healthier workforce can be more productive, take less time off sickand stay in employment for longer.

Greater physical activity, healthy eating and achieving a healthier weight arecritical strands of wellbeing and a contributing factor for a healthier and moreproductive workforce.

Employers have a legal responsibility to support the health and well-being of theirstaff as part of their health and safety duties. Initiatives designed to encouragephysical activity and healthy eating should focus on mental health as well asphysical health.

Working in partnership with employees, employers can take a positive, proactive,preventative approach to support weight management and encourage greaterphysical activity.

Toolkits are available to help employers reverse the national obesity epidemic.They include a checklist of actions for employers to take, under the broad themesof being prepared, encouraging physical exercise and healthy eating, andproviding knowledge and training.

ERGONOMICS


From my experience, we fail to see seated postures at workplace (which falls underDisplay Screen Equipment- DSE Regulations) as an important / integral part ofour workplace health, safety and wellness plans. We do not always understandhow wide / holistic DSE assessment is. It is not only about buying /recommending ergonomic chairs and tables. Rather, a good DSE assessor, shouldhave specialised training.

We need to be careful what kind of seating we prescribe to individual staffmembers, as what works for Mr A may not work for Mr B.

Problems range from:

- Finding a balance between sitting and standing at the workplace

- Measuring compliance. Methodology validation and availability of suitabletechnology enhances compliance

- Leadership commitments to full DSE measures is important

- Unavailability of anthropometric data set in most countries for furniture designs

- Lack of regulations on DSE amongst most African countries.

Comment by Engr. Olusegun Stephen. UK. Good points but I will add that apart frommeeting compliance where regulations exist, our ergonomic approach must keepworkers from associated risk or else companies may face massive penalities.

Until prosecution is given way in Africa, workers will be subject to untoldhardship after long service. “We need to keep our workers better than the waythey came to work” is an indication that our risk assessment is working.


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PATIENT SAFETY

submitted by Oluwatobi Durowoju, Nigeria

Oluwatobi Durowoju was invited togive a presentation on patient safetyhandling. Managing safe patienthandling is not as easy as we perceive, itmust be managed with multifactorialinterventions to be successful. It isunacceptable that patients do notalways die because of ill health butoften from human factor related issues.

Reply by Ehi Iden: Patient safety is theresponsibility of us all. I personallythink the need to reassess the model ofcare in healthcare is urgent. If it isinnocent infants and newborns who arebeing victimised and bruised bycaregivers employed and paid to carefor them, then we all should getexceedingly worried.

OHS Events CANCER AWARENESS

Submitted by Dr Anthony Umunna,Nigeria

Nigeria held a Workplace CancerAwareness day at Astro Turf NationalStadium, Lagos.

Its focus was on Prostate Cancer. Itwas celebrated with a novelty matchbetween female staff and managementstaff from the Nigerial MaritimeAdministraton & Safety Agency.

Activities also included free earlyscreening for male staff in collaborationwith an assigned diagnostic facility.

OHS INSPECTOR CONFERENCE

Submitted by Tibor Szana, South Africa

The annual OHS Inspector Conferencewas held in South Africa from 12 -13th March.

Day one ended with awards beinghanded out to those provinces andinspectors who have performedexceptionally.

MINING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTHDIALOGUE

Submitted by Thuthula Balfour, South Africa

The South African MiningOccupational Health Dialogue tookplace from 12th to 13th March. Thishas been an Annual event since 2016to raise the profile of health in theindustry.

Above: Dr Lindi Ndelu, Chief Directorfor Occupational Health in theDepartment of Mineral Resourcesgiving her presentation.

2018 WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY ANDHEALTH

Ministry of East Africa Community,Labour & Social Protection celebrated2018 World Day for Safety and Healthat Work through the Directorate ofOccupational Safety and HealthServices (DOSHS) by holding anational annual occupational safetyand health awards competition.

A prize giving ceremony will be heldon 28th April 2018. www.labour.go.ke

On 28 February, Zambia launched theSafe Workers of Tomorrow (SWOT) inNdola Town.

ZAMBIA LAUNCHES SWOT

Submitted by C Kapema, Zambia

After the conference, Ehi wasinterviewed by South AfricaBroadcasting Corporation (SABC),where he also promoted theOSHAfrica organisation.

ANATOMY OF ISO 45001

Submitted by Engr Jamiu Badmus, Nigeria

A 3 hour intensve technical session onthe Anatomy of ISO 45001:2018 washeld on 7th April in Nigeria.

WORLD CONFERENCE ON TOBACCO

Submitted by Ehi Iden, Nigeria

Ehi Iden attended the WorldConference on Tobacco or Health, heldin Cape Town where he met the DGWHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.


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LEGALISE INDIAN HEMP USE

Submitted by Sam Kadiri Nigeria

During a one-day public hearing on therising abuse of pharmaceutical drugsamong youths, the United Nationsurged Nigeria to legalise hemp. Thehearing was organised by the NigerianDenate’s Joint Committee on Drugsand Narcotics and Health. HarshethKaur Virk, Project Officer, UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime inNigeria in her presentation explainedthat Indian Hemp (cannabis) is amiracle drug approved for medicalpurposes by the United Nations. Shehowever did emphasise that it was notto be approved for recreationalpurposes. She said, “Nigeria, as asovereign nation, has its stringent lawsagainst it; but internationalconventions of the UN have approvedit for medical purposes, based on theoutcome of researches conducted byglobally recognised institutes.”

Virk added that apart from cannabis,users of other addictive drugs forrecreational purposes, as approved bythe UN, should not be criminalised butrehabilitated, emphasising that theglobal body was against drugtrafficking. She charged Nigeria’ssecurity agencies to be proactive intheir anti-drug trafficking campaignand not reactive.

WORLD CONGRESS ON TOBACCO ORHEALTH

The World Congress on Tobacco orHealth 2018 held its annual conferencein Cape Town.

According to Ehi Iden who attended,tobacco use in workplaces is an area weOccupational Health and Safetyprofessionals should start looking atquickly, as studies and research workare lacking. We should therefore tryand make inroads into this area to findsolutions. Global tobacco control is afield that has plenty of funding fromdonors across the world, due to thenotoriety of tobacco and the manydiseases that are linked to its exposureand use. One question we need toreally ask ourselves is, how comeworkplace policies have drug andalcohol programmes but they do nothave tobacco use programmes?

Comment by Chinonye: I see many peoplein the workplace with chronic illnesses

yet continue to smoke which has adirect correlation on their high bloodpressure, fatigue etc.

Comment by CBO Jakokwiri: Kenya is inthe process of banning smoking in theworkplace altogether.

WHO INTERNSHIP PROGRAMMEEhi Iden announced that the global callfor registration for the WHOInternship Programme 2018 is nowopen. Deadline is 30 June.www.opportunitydesk.org

Anyone interested in joining the OSHAfrica group can register on the website -www.oshafrica.africa

Event Calendar 201809 April The Occupational Health and Safety Bill Public hearing

National Assembly, Abuja. Discussions alongside Bills to amend 1. Labour Act CAP LI LFN 2004, 2. Employees Compensation Act, 2010, 3. National Social Insurance Trust Fund Act CAP N88, LFN, 2004 and two others. Professionals are urged to make presentation at the public hearing.

26 - 27 April Launch of the African Vision Zero Campaign

Abidjan, Ivory Coast. www.visionzero.global

27 - 28 April Annual national conference on Occupational Safety and Health at Work

Kenya. www.labour.go.ke

28 April #SafeDay celebrations - Step up knowledge for young workers

Kenya will be holding an event during this year’s which will focus on how stakeholders can ensure safe and healty working conditions for young workers by dissemination of OSH knowledge to this segment of the workforce

02 May International launch of OSHAfrica - ICOH (Dublin)

17:00 to 20:00. An aside event during ICOH (Dublin) has been approved for the international launch of OSHAfrica.

03 - 06 May 5th Africa and Middle East Congress on Addiction(AMECA)

Tunisia. www.iameca.org

22 - 24 May AOSH Africa - Knowledge is the name of the game.

The following members of OSHAfrica will be giving presentations at the annual South African exhibition:

Sam Kadiri, Nigeria

Tibor Szana, South Africa

Joep Joubert, South Africa

www.aosh.co.za

28 - 29 May Occupational Health and SafetyImpact of globalisaton towards occupational health and safety - London UK. email: [email protected] / [email protected]

26 - 28 June Vision Zero

A mindset change towards zero harm. Hosted by the Lagos StateSafety Commission in workplace. www.lagosvisionzero.ng

2019 OSHAfrica Conference 2019

The launch conference of OSHAfrica will be held in Johannesburg. www.oshafrica.africa


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Greetings colleagues.

As the current Executive Director, Ihope to ensure that critical aspects thataffect us all in the industry areaddressed on an ongoing basis. Ihopefully will be able to contributesubstantially and fill the shoes of mypredecessors.

ACHASM, established in 2006, is anon-profit organisation that promotesthe interest of construction health andsafety (H&S) in the built environment.

The role ACHASM has played over thepast decade has been instrumental inthe growth and development of theprofessionalisation of H&S in the sector.ACHASM is not about chasingmembers, however it is positive to seethat our numbers are growing. Tables 1and 2 indicate our current registrations.

Further information is available in thereport on educational activities.

The following information details theroles we have contributed to for thebetterment of our members, but alsothe sector:

•ACHASM is a recognised VoluntaryAssociation (VA) with the SouthAfrican Council for the Project and

Construction ManagementProfessions (SACPCMP);

o Represented by Ms Carla Botha, who attends the VA meetings at the SACPCMP on a quarterly basis (her report on the last meeting is published hereafter);

• ACHASM is represented by Dr Claire Deacon at the following SACPCMP forums:

o Board member of the 4th term Council (2014-2018):

- Chair of the Human Resources Committee;

- Chair of the Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPD);

- Committee member of Programme Accreditation Committee (Construction Management and Construction H&S);

- Committee member of the Registration Committee (Regcom);

- Committee member of Construction H&S, and

- Member of the Executive Committee (EXCO).

o Professor Smallwood, one of our Directors has served as a previous Councillor on the 1st and 2nd Council; is a member of the Nominations Panel, Programme Accreditation (CM and CHS) and Construction Management Development Subcommittee;

o Mr Anton Krause serves on the Disciplinary Committee;

o Other roles required in SACPCMPcommittees include media interviews, attendance of formal functions arranged by the Council from time to time.

• ACHASM is further represented bymyself as Executive Director, at theSACPCMP Presidents Forum - which was requested by the Presidentof the SACPCMP, Mr TjiamogaleEric Manchidi. Strategic focus areasthat are discussed include legislation,skills development, transformation,and sustainability. From ourperspective, the issue of H&S in eachof the focus areas are beingaddressed. The essential issues in thisforum that affect us further are theidentity of work (IDOW), (scope ofwork), and fees, amongst others. Theother recognised VAs who participateare those who represent the projectand construction managers, andcould have dual registration withother councils, including, amongstothers: fellow H&S organisations;architects, engineers, quantitysurveyors etc.

• ACHASM further participated in a number of public participationopportunities as key stakeholders:

o The construction industry development board (cidb) sessions on proposed standards in Primary Health Care (PHC), and H&S plans. Of note is that Professor John Smallwood and I developed the PHC standard for the Green Building Council, for social development, and

o Attendance of the draft Asbestos Abatement Regulations Workshopheld by the Department of Labour.

My role on all of the committees Iparticipate in and represent ACHASM,is to change hearts and minds, and I dobelieve we are slowly making changeseven if they appear incredibly slow.H&S is being addressed by each of youin how you work, how you quote, howyou portray yourself among colleaguesand clients. If we all subscribe to the

The Association of Construction Health and Safety Management (ACHASM)

Executive Director Update

Dr Claire Deacon PhD(Construction Management)claire deacon and associates (cd&a)

PR.CHSA (SACPCMP)

EC FS GP KZN LP MPL NC NWP WC OTHER TOTAL

80 10 66 13 19 7 2 2 64 2 265

Table 1. Registrations per province

Table 2. SACPCMP Registered members per Category

Pr.CHSA Can CHSA CHSM Can. CHSM CHSO Can. CHSO OTHER TOTAL21 13 24 3 30 10 5 106

Please visit our websitewww.achasm.co.za forupdated information, orcontact our Registrar, Ms

Jackie Fort on 0762630549 for furtherinformation or assistance. Our office isbased at 2 Dale Court, Bain Street,Richmond Hill, Port Elizabeth, andoperating hours are weekdays, from08h30 to 13h30. Follow our Facebookand LinkedIn pages.

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY ACHASM


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value of ethics and professional practice,we will see change. The outcome ofwhat is done is not always visible, but ifeach of us do something, it will make adifference to the lives of workers.

There are a number of values that arevery important to me and by which Iam non-negotiable, these includeethical and professional standards, andthe development of people. There aremany practising construction H&Sswho are not registered, and don'tintend to ever register. While there areissues with registration with theSACPCMP, and practising as aprofessional in all the categories, ourduty is to protect the sector, and beinga registered person should bring statusand recognition. Critical to status andrecognition is education anddevelopment. I personally experiencevery little of either of theaforementioned from our fellow builtenvironment professionals, and Ibelieve this is because many practisingH&S who purport to be professionalshave very little experience and noformal qualifications, or at best two-week training in general H&S.However, how can we expect to receiverespect, when programmes, schedules,construction drawings, and otherconstruction activities are notunderstood? The subject of competentconstruction H&S persons is a constanttopic at Council, on all committees.Currently the ProgrammeAccreditation Committee recentlyinducted a panel of academics andpractitioners to specifically accreditconstruction H&S programmes offeredat tertiary institutions. Theaccreditation process will allow thoseentering the industry to follow a careerpath that will best prepare them for thesector, or bolster experience. Suchaccreditation further indicates that thesector is maturing. A range ofprogrammes are being developed forcandidate H&S Officers, and we allneed to actively support these.

In conclusion, Professor Smallwood hasdrawn up an ACHASM needsquestionnaire, that has been sent outby Jackie. All members should havereceived one, but not many have beenreturned. Please complete thesequestionnaires, as this will inform ushow we can best serve your needs.

Prof John Smallwood and Dr ClaireDeacon

2018 eventsIt has already been a busy year forACHASM! CPD points are availablefor most activities.

WESTERN CAPE CHAPTER

On 5 March 2018, Dévan Venter, LeadEngineer, PERI, based in Durban,presented 'Considerations essential tosafe temporary works design andexecution' at an ACHASM WesternCape Chapter evening event in CapeTown. The presentation focused on:what temporary works entail;important design considerations -support systems; importance of correct

implementation on site; examples ofprojects, and examples of dangerouspractises on sites, and how to rectifysame. The event was sponsored by Peri(primary sponsor), and FederatedEmployers Mutual Assurance (FEM).

GAUTENG CHAPTER

At an inaugural meeting of theACHASM Gauteng Chapter, after theOne-Day ACHASM Gauteng 2018Construction H&S Symposium on 12March, the Chapter committee waselected. The Chair is Mr Pieter Herbst,and the remainder of the committeewill be announced on our website.

EASTERN CAPE CHAPTER (PE)

The interim Chair stood down due to

Ms Carla Botha, ACHASM Representative

Several topics were discussed at thismeeting where the continuingprofessional development (CPD) Cyclediscussions took up most of themeeting. The current cycle wascompleted in 2017.

Critical issues relating to CPD:

• Only 35% of the members werecompliant with the 2012 - 2017cycle. Members who have notcomplied have 2 months to submitall documents, and are likely toreceive non-compliance letters;

• There are service providers who claimto have their training CPDaccredited, but do not; This was onlydiscovered after attempting to uploadcertificates. Members were asked toreport these instances to the Council;

• VAs have an opportunity to submit10 courses for CPD validation at nocharge, to keep the pricing as low aspossible;

• The Shape Shifters Magazine wasdiscussed, and VAs were asked tosubmit articles for publication. Theyalso want to profile registered persons

to change the misconception in thepublic domain regardingprofessionals;

• The Transformation Strategy wasdiscussed and VAs were asked toprovide information on any activitiesthat they might have in this regard.The document was approved by theCouncil and more details will beprovided in the implementation plan;

• Youth Activation (a student chapterinitiative) and the placement ofinterns at host companies werediscussed as the Council had receivedfunding from Service SETA and theConstruction SETA;

• CHS Statistics were discussed.Around 7000 applications have beenprocessed to date. Council isstruggling with the continuing highrate of CHSO applications. Ofconcern are the numbers ofapplications that have beensubmitted but have not paid theirfinal fee for registration. Suchindividuals applications are likely tobe archived if no contact is made, andthey will have to restart theapplication from the beginning.

ACHASM Chapter training and education update

SACPCMP Voluntary Association feedback6 March 2018



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work commitments, and a newcommittee needs to be appointed. Thisis likely to happen through April andMay.

OTHER ACTIVITIES: SYMPOSIA,SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Symposia

The one-day ACHASM Gauteng 2018Construction Health and Safety (H&S)Symposium was staged in Midrand on12 March. Eleven presentationsincluded: building informationmodelling and H&S, client baseline riskassessments; client contributions toconstruction H&S; ConstructionIndustry Development Board (cidb)update; FEM update; H&S culture;medical surveillance; motor vehicleaccidents (MVAs) during construction;SACPCMP update; SMEs /subcontractors and H&S; support workand formwork, and role of procurementin H&S. The Symposium was followedby an H&S Rant: “What keeps meawake at night”!

The Association of South AfricanQuantity Surveyors (ASAQS), the

South African Council for the Projectand Construction ManagementProfessions (SACPCMP), and theSouth African Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health(Saiosh) accredited the symposium interms of continuing professionaldevelopment (CPD). The event wassponsored by FEM. Copies of thepresentations are available on ourwebsite.

Seminar

Dr Claire Deacon and Professor JohnSmallwood presented a 17-module'Designing for Construction H&SSeminar' in Bloemfontein on 13March.

This is the first of a series of suchseminars that will be presentednationwide. The ASAQS, theSACPCMP, and SAIOSH accreditedthe seminar in terms of CPD.

Forthcoming events

The premier event of the year in theform of the two-day ACHASM 2018Construction H&S Summit, will bestaged in Cape Town, from 1-2

October.

Day 1 will include: cidb update;contracts and H&S, and contractadministration; FEM update; legalliability / precedents; medicalsurveillance; motor vehicle accidents(MVAs) during construction;SACPCMP update; SMEs /Subcontractors and H&S; supportwork and formwork; role ofprocurement in H&S, and traffic andwork zone H&S during roadconstruction.

Day 2 will feature workshops, amongstothers, ISO 45001, and discussionsessions will address topical issues. TheASAQS, the SACPCMP, andSIOSHwill accredit the summit interms of CPD.

The 17-module 'Designing forConstruction H&S Seminar' will bepresented in Cape Town, Durban, EastLondon, Johannesburg, and PortElizabeth in the forthcoming months.

Please monitor the ACHASMFacebook account for upcoming events,as well as the website: ww.achasm.co.za



Documents

CONTENTS€¦ · 22 to 24 May 2018 SAIOH will once again be participating in and exhibiting at A-OSH Expo 2018, Africa's leading occupational health and safety exhibition, which will