26 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Is safety required on residential sites?
By
Chris Coetzee
Plumbers often ask,“ Why do we need safety on this site?” Generally, I get this question when I am at a residential building doing inspections and ask for their safety documentation. In fact, many go on to say,“ This is not a construction site. Safety is not needed here.”
What do you think – does it really matter where you are or what scope of plumbing you are doing that determines whether safety is relevant or necessary? Let us look at a few scenarios and then you can make the decision for yourself.
We will start with a particular scope of plumbing in a residential setting and then add in what is necessary from a safety aspect on a construction site for the same scope of work. You can then conclude if the residential plumbing needs less, the same or more safety.
A client calls you out to install a new geyser – they state the old one is not working and would prefer a new one. The geyser is located in the ceiling, but they have never been up there, so they do not know what to expect. We have discussed hazards in ceilings before with the main hazard being working at a height and the risk of falling to a lower level.
For construction sites, the requirement would be to ensure safe access to heights where work would be carried out, and there are procedures in place for this specific work area. We know that not every ceiling is the same. There is also a need to ensure your staff are both competent to work at heights and fit to perform the work. Within these requirements are very specific regulations and documents that will be needed, but let’ s look again at the goal of what the regulations are trying to achieve. Firstly, it sets a standard that any work at height must be planned so that it can be determined if the work is necessary, and if there can be a limit on how much time is spent in this dangerous situation. It then goes on to regulate who is allowed to work at heights, what the proper procedure is to follow, and outlines the correct fall prevention or protection measures, along with emergency rescue procedures in case of an emergency.
From these requirements, we could now ask the question:“ Do you see the need for safety when working inside of a ceiling? How would you safely access the ceiling so as not to fall to the floor? How would you protect yourself from the hazards within the ceiling?”
“ But would you instil in your employees a safety mindset that stops unsafe work?”
Image by Microsoft Stock Images
Safety is vital at all sites – from construction to residential.
www. plumbingafrica. co. za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline November 2025 Volume 31 I Number 09