FEATURES
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and time-wasting situation; it can lead to down time and other resources being required to attend to the incident.”
Joemat points to the top five root causes for safety infringements as: unsafe acts or behaviour, presented as poor judgement or decision making; inadequate mental state, presented as a loss of concentration; inadequate physical condition, which is presented as fatigue; inadequate skill levels presented as insufficient skills or training; and unsafe acts or behaviour, presented as insufficient supervisory control.
In Thejane’ s experience, a prominent driver for transgressions is unsafe or poorly maintained equipment.“ Having conducted inspections in the sawmill industry within the last five years, there was a major concern on the part of the Department of Labour relating to how unsafe the equipment was and what condition the machinery was in,” he says, noting,“ At some sawmills, the electrical installations are also of concern as was the issue of workers being exposed to sawdust on a daily basis without wearing any protection.”
PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE
Non-compliance can bear a penalty of imprisonment or a fine; these are outlined in each applicable regulation in the OHS Act.“ However, these penalties are usually related to the employer; it is only in very rare cases that any penalties are imposed on an employee. Employee noncompliance is normally handled in line with the company’ s disciplinary code,” says Swift.
According to Wainwright, even though the company’ s disciplinary code will provide for various levels of sanction for safety regulation noncompliance,“ Such discipline must be applied consistently and fairly, otherwise there develops a tendency among employees to‘ hide’ noncompliance and even injuries,” he says.
Thejane highlights the impact of non-compliance from an economic perspective.“ I think the industry should concern itself with the fact that a whole business can be brought to a standstill for several days until there is compliance. Secondly, there is the reputational risk involved; no business wants to be associated with anyone who puts their workers – or anyone else’ s – at risk. It not just about the fines one may have to pay,” he says.
For Joemat, though,“ The highest penalty for non-compliance is fatality. One of our safety philosophies at MTO Group is that we are all our‘ buddies’ keepers, a key driver in our safety culture.”
THE BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY
While a measure of responsibility rests with all players in the value chain, the bulk of responsibility for compliance regarding machinery and equipment lies both with the manufacturer and the purchasing party or employer.
“ The OHS Act very clearly prohibits the manufacture or sale of machinery or equipment which does not comply with the prescribed requirements of the legislation, thus placing some responsibility on the manufacturer / supplier,” says Wainwright.“ However, the greater responsibility lies very much with the user; Section 8 of the act prescribes the duties and responsibilities of the employer and includes a requirement to ensure that all equipment and machinery is safe for use, and that employees are properly trained and competent in the use of,” he explains.
“ Where the legislation is not prescriptive, the supplier is still required to ensure that the equipment complies with best practice in occupational
health and safety. Where any employer is not sure or not comfortable relating the safety features of any equipment, they may contact the Department of Labour or the relevant Approved Inspection Authority for assistance,” says Thejane.
For the MTO Group, the value chain does not operate in a vacuum and when it comes to safety, all stakeholders must work together.“ We believe that the relationships between supplier, buyer and end user are built on the principle that the success of one supports the success of the other,” says Joemat.
AUTOMATION VERSUS MANUAL OPERATIONS
A sawmill’ s decisions around automation versus manual operations would usually be backed by strategy concerning operational efficiency and cost savings. In Swift’ s opinion,
" SAFCOL believes that the creation and maintenance of a safe workplace and safe work behaviours are a primary business requirement."
− Paul Wainwright, SAFCOL.
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sales @ rancetimber. co. za www. rancetimber. co. za EST. 1910
42 JUNE / JULY 2018 //