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The Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Bill, also commonly referred to as the OHSA Bill, was tabled for the first initial reading in Parliament by the Minister of Employment and Labour on November 2, 2020. Once introduced, there will be significant amendments made to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of1993, or OHSA 1993. Changes to be made by the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Bill 2020, also referred to as the OHSA Bill, are extensive but it should not come as a surprise to health and safety professionals.

There have been numerous case studies that have been done on health and safety, and one of the many studies include a health and safety risk assessment case study on slips, trips, and falls.

What is Hazard Identification in HSE Overview What is Hazard Identification in HSE? Loosely translates to Risk Assessment in Health and Safety. Risk assessments in health and safety form part of the risk management process which are included in the overall Health and Safety Management Plan and Programme of organisations, in addition to forming part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s requirements, to which employers must be compliant. A risk assessment involves the process of identifying the current and existing hazards that may appear in the workplace and it defines those that are likely cause harm to employees, contractors, visitors, and any other person that may be affected by the activities of the organisation. What does hazard identification entail?

How often should a Health and Safety Risk Assessment be reviewed? Overview Business owners, employers, managers, or supervisors must know the importance associated with keeping things up to date so that they run smoothly, and health and safety is not an exception to this. To make sure that employees stay safe, and that the employer remains compliant, risk assessments must be carried out and reviewed as part of regular work practice.

What is a Risk Assessment in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the Workplace. The core principles associated with a risk assessment process in addition with the legal requirements of why organisations go through this important task, is common territory to seasoned health and safety professionals and larger organisations. However, there are numerous smaller organisations that may not fully grans that they have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all employees and visitors, and that they must drive compliance relating to health and safety within the operations of the organisation. The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 requires that each employer provide a workplace which is safe and without risk to the health of employees, with further guidance offered on how employers can achieve this. Risk assessment in Occupational Health and Safety involves the fundamentals which are ingrained in the Act to assist employers in achieving their duties towards the health and safety of employees, and any other persons who may be affected by the organisation’s activities.

As per the Amended Occupational Health and Safety Act, Section 29, an inspector may, without any prior notice, enter any premises occupied and used by an employer to perform work. In addition, the inspector may also request documentation relating to the health and the safety of an organisation, including the OHS Risk Assessment plan.

Health and Safety Risk Assessment Steps Overview Employers have an obligation to ensure and maintain a healthy and safe work environment for employees and visitors to the premises. This is to ensure that employees are safeguarded and to ensure that employers are compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993. There may be a misconception that health and safety risk assessments are complex, time-consuming, or tedious, however, there are five simple health and safety risk assessment steps that can be followed to ensure that an effective risk assessment is done.

It is the employer’s legal obligation to ensure that employees are protected from occupational risks to which they could be exposed. This can be done by implementing and following a risk management process, which involves: Risk analysis Risk assessment and risk control practices.

A Health and Safety Risk Assessment Should Include 5 Steps The simplest definition of a Risk Assessment is that it is a careful examination of what, in the workplace, could cause harm to people, so that employers can weigh up whether they have taken enough precautions, or whether more should be done to prevent harm. It forms a crucial part for OHS management and the main objective that it has is to determine the measures needed to comply with the OHS Act, 85 of 1993, and all other regulations and legislation, to reduce the level of incidents and/or accidents. Why must a Risk Assessment be carried out? It can help the employer comply with their legal duty and it helps them protect their employees and their business. There may be confusion as to when a risk assessment must be conducted, and employers may complicate the entire procedure by thinking that it is a complex and difficult procedure. It can be conducted at any time, and it should be conducted before employees conduct a task, start work for the day, or do work that presents a significant chance of injury or ill-health. Employers are legally allowed to appoint a competent person to conduct a risk assessment on their behalf. However, the competent person must possess the right qualification to do so in addition to the necessary skills, training, knowledge, and experience, for instance an OHS Manager or officer.