If you don’t Plan to Change, you’re not planning to Develop

No one can provide absolute protection to a business or industry, an institution or a home, but an environment can be created and maintained in which loss or harm is kept to a bare minimum.

It can not be stressed enough that safety is a preventative programme.

A preventative programme is actioned to achieve the prevention of those hazards that can injure or destroy lives or property. It is for this purpose and this purpose only, that laws are passed and safety measures are taken.

Occupational Health and Safety is an essential component of the management system in any workplace.?Not only is it required by law, but it is also simply the right thing to do to protect the health and safety of employees at work.??

This means that the employer must ensure that the workplace is free from hazards, such as articles, equipment, processes, etc. that may cause injury, damage or disease.?Where this is not possible, the employer must inform employees of these dangers, how they may be prevented, and how to work safely.

Most companies in Southern Africa do not identify the need to ensure a safe and healthy work environment because they lack knowledge and/or were never properly informed. Risks are industry specific and should not be generalized.

Therefore, good health and safety management are characterised?by strong leadership involving managers, employees, suppliers, contractors and customers.

This is where training plays a vital role to increase skills development to comply with legislative requirements.

To promote safety in the workplace is to provide all employees at all levels with the appropriate type and amount of training.?In today’s rapidly changing high-tech workplace, training is more important than ever.?

Although the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires training, but who is responsible for providing training?

?“A production supervisor once said, I don’t need employees wasting any more time in training”.

The safety director countered the argument by saying “Employees won’t be able to operate from a hospital bed if they don’t complete their safety training”

Both of these managers are interested in the same thing – productivity.

Therefore, health and safety professionals have a very important task in convincing both sides that providing a safe and healthy work environment is not only ethically right but also profitable in the long run. | www.pretoriasafety.co.za | [email protected]