NEWS
Protect your employees and company against non-compliance to the Occupational Health & Safety Act
As the ‘voice’ of the electrical industry, The Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) SA represents the interests of electrical contractors and their employees and as such is committed to informing its members of occupational health and safety developments, services and initiatives.
Every employee is valuable so there’s no doubt that all employees who are exposed to ‘hazards’ in the workplace should be entitled to proper health and safety assistance programmes (Section 8 (1) (2) (b) & (d) & (9) of the Occupational Health & Safely Act no 85 of 1993 (OHSA) and the Employment Equity Act no 55 of 1998 (Chapter II, Section 7).
Besides the fact that failure on an electrical contractor’s part to adhere to the rules of this act could result in being found guilty of an offence and liable for compensation, there are many reasons to conduct medical testing within your company.
The Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA, 85 of 1993) prescribes fitness certification which impact electrical workers. In addition, the general duties imposed by these laws, Construction Regulations (Feb 2014) were published under the OHSA.
The importance of medical surveillance within the electrical environment
All certifying electrical practitioners have to assess employees for medical conditions that may impact their ability to perform safety critical tasks, without the risk to self or others.
In the case of electrical workers, the practitioner should consider aspects of vision (acuity near and far, colour vision and depth perception.) There are potentially many hazards that could apply to electrical workers, depending on the work-site.
Employers in South Africa have a legal duty arising under both common law and statute (as per the OHSA) to provide and maintain a working environment free of risk to the health and safety of employees.
Failure to comply with the prescriptions of the OHSA are detailed in sections 37 & 38; they include fines and imprisonment with a criminal record. Where non-compliance leads to injury or fatality, the employer could be held accountable.
On this note, The ECA (SA) as an employer’s organisation representing South African electrical contractors since 1950, therefore understands that electrical workers often perform safety critical tasks, for which an error could lead to fatal consequences.
We provide health and wellness services to various construction, mining and manufacturing sites that enable ECA SA members and their employees to enjoy the best value from our integrated health solutions.
How integrated is your health and safety approach?
EOH WHW guides clients through all the facts of compliance to occupational health and safety legislation and to devise a comprehensive and integrated health strategy.
We provide professional services which cover all of the following aspects of occupational health and safety:
- Occupational health
- Management of injuries sustained on duty
- Employee Wellbeing Programmes including Employee Assistance Programmes and Wellness Screening
- On-site Wellness Centres (gyms and exercise pods)
- Primary Healthcare
- Organisational Health Consulting
- Absenteeism, incapacity and disability management
