26 FEATURES
in the act is : “ employer ” means , subject to the provisions of subsection ( 2 ), any person who employs or provides work for any person and remunerates that person or expressly or tacitly undertakes to remunerate him , but excludes a labour broker as defined in section 1 ( 1 ) of the Labour Relations Act , 1956 ( Act No . 28 of 1956 ).
This section clearly identifies that business owners are responsible for a safe system of works , in other words , a system of how work is to be done safely . There are multiple documents that can be used for this purpose – Safe Working Procedures , Risk Assessments and Health & Safety Plans , but the entire system would then need to be documented and communicated to the workforce . This would essentially create within a company a “ safety file ”. This documented body of proof can then be edited and adjusted to comply with client specifications , giving you a “ site-specific ” safety file . Bottom line : the company who does the work is responsible for developing the safety file .
Q : What must I do now that I have a safety file ? A : Having a file is only the start of ensuring work runs safely on any site . Safety files are designed to be living , breathing systems that need continuous management and improvement . Thus , in a safety file , you will find registers , checklists , daily safe procedures , weekly task observations and monthly inspections that need to take place . All of these items require that responsible persons take care to inform and train the workforce to mitigate any risks they have identified and continue to pro-actively prevent workplace incidents and accidents .
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A hard hat is required on site .
In simple terms again , a safety file is not meant to be thrown into your backseat , cupboard or inside a draw . It ’ s designed to be starting point – the continuous reminder and the concluding safety process that keeps the company compliant and the workforce safe . PA