Health and Safety Structure (SO2-AC1)

The primary Acts that impact construction HEALTH AND SAFETY in South Africa are the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 85 of 1993 (OH&S Act) and the complementary Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act No. 130 of 1993 (COID Act).

Under the Act, we all have obligations that we must comply with. Twenty-one sets of regulations form an inseparable part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

These regulations provide specifications and requirements for the area that they govern.

Health-Related Regulations:

1. Asbestos Regulations, 2001
2. Hazardous Biological Agent Regulations, 2001
3. Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations, 1995
4. Lead Regulations, 2001
5. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Regulations, 2003

General Regulations:

6. Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, 1987
7. Facilities Regulations, 1990
8. General Administrative Regulations, 2003

General Safety Regulations, 1986:

9. Electrical regulations
10. Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009
11. Electrical Machinery Regulations, 1988

Machinery Regulations:

12. Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015
13. General Machinery Regulations, 1988
14. Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulations, 1994
15. Pressure Equipment Regulations, 2009

Specific Regulations:

16. Regulations concerning the Certificate of Competency, 1990
17. Diving Regulations, 2001
18. Explosives Regulations, 2003
19. Major Hazard Installation Regulations, 1993
20. Regulations on Hazardous Work by Children in SA, 2010
21. Draft Ergonomics Regulations, 2017

National Environmental Management Act [No. 107 of 1998]

Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) refers to a company's duty to abstain from damaging natural environments. The term derives from corporate social responsibility.

Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair damage and reverse trends.

Due to the pressures of overconsumption, population growth and technology, the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has been recognized, and governments have begun placing restraints on activities that cause environmental degradation. Since the 1960s, environmental movements have created more awareness of the multiple environmental problems.