Andrew Dickson , engineering executive at CBI-electric : low voltage , discusses the need for employers to educate their staff members about the dangers of bypassing the earth leakage to prevent fatalities and to uphold each employee ’ s right to a safe and healthy working environment . He explains that all too often , injuries and deaths associated with electrocution occur if companies take short cuts when it comes to their electrical installations and do not comply with SANS 10142 , the standard for all low voltage electrical installations . “ This year , however , the Occupational Health and Safety ( OHS ) Amendment Bill will be signed into law , enforcing stricter consequences for noncompliance with health and safety standards . Going forward , all employers will need to ensure that no employee is permitted to do any work or operate any machinery unless precautionary measures have been taken . It has now raised the maximum penalty to the R5-million mark or five years in prison – albeit I think the latter is unlikely .”
He suggests that the importance of the Occupational Health and Safety ( OHS ) Amendment Bill lies not so much in the detail of the actual amendment , as to the penalties for non-compliance . The changes mostly are nuances and paraphrasing
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within the Act itself , making it more relevant . The importance relates more to strict compliance to SANS 10142 , the standard for all low voltage electrical installations , to prevent injuries and deaths associated with electrocution , and therefore the wiring or low voltage reticulation within a site , whether that be an industrial or a building site .
“ The amendment changes the schedule with respect to maximum fines and the prison period . The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that SANS 10142 is met in order to provide a safe work environment for all employees . Employers can no longer just claim ‘ I ' ve told my staff , and therefore they have to adhere to it ’.
“ Because now if there ' s an accident and a staff member is deceased , the dependents of that employee and the Department of Labour could still raise a case against the employer . Employers now need ensure adherence to the rules and regulations of SANS 10142 . They have to ensure two things : that employees understand their roles and responsibilities in creating a safe work environment ; and that they know the best practices ,” says Dickson .
“ What typically happens is when employers are under the gun with a deadline – they instruct employees to ‘ get the job done ’.”
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He explains that leakage currents are often an indication that there is a fault within a machine which will then need to be switched off and repaired . However , as employees are usually measured on output , they avoid flagging that there is an issue and instead bypass the earth leakage to keep operating the machine . Two scenarios can then occur : at some point in the future the machine breaks down causing longer downtime , or an electrical accident occurs which could be fatal and result in extended loss in production time as investigations are conducted – both can be avoidable catastrophic consequences for the employee and employer .”
“ The amendment will require an employer to be more aware of what their staff are doing on site . That ' s the biggest change from this amendment to the Act . The fines imposed are significant enough that employers will now need to perform physical checks and verify that their systems are in accordance with the standards – not just assume they are . The liability has been pushed up to the employer . While being proactive in ensuring compliance will have an upfront cost , is the alternative really an option ?” questions Dickson .
While policing is always the weak link in South Africa ’ s justice system , he points
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CBI-electric
Andrew Dickson , engineering executive at CBIelectric : low voltage .
out law breakers take a big risk . Site inspections do happen , but perhaps not to the frequency they should . Dickson explains that where an accident does occur there are strict reporting measures – and such reports get acted upon by the Department of Labour . If an employer transgresses , they
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