CONSTRUCTION SAFETY
Fatal site incidents have renewed calls for stronger construction safety oversight, accountability and quality control.
Following a webinar presentation by Emeritus Professor John Smallwood of Nelson Mandela University to the South African Institution of Civil Engineering( SAICE) on 26 March, a number of industry associations have taken up the theme and are actively speaking out.
Smallwood’ s presentation drew on years of research into construction site safety, from reinforced concrete structures to worker safety, health, and mental wellbeing.
In an economy where construction site safety appears to be getting worse, not better, Smallwood argues that there is no site“ accident” – only failures of management.
Noting at least four fatal construction site incidents in 20 months, Master Builders Association( MBA) North has called for urgent measures to improve oversight and accountability in the construction sector..
Gavin Morrow, President of MBA North, says these incidents reflect the state of an industry that has been in decline for many years.
“ Construction investment has dropped, there are now many more smaller and unregistered players competing in the sector, going in with razor-thin margins. When the margins reduce, business owners start looking to cut non-essential operational activities, and among the first things that get cut are quality; and health and safety. Many contractors view these as a nice-to-have – not essential.
Morrow says adhering to industry health and safety protocols can be costly and time-consuming, which can tempt some contractors to cut corners.
“ As the project runs through its life cycle, there must be checks and balances: Has the concrete cured to the correct strength? Has the rebar been placed as per design and checked? Are the right materials being used?” Morrow says.
“ Unfortunately, as the margins reduce, business owners start looking at ways to extract more from each project. That is where quality gets impacted, and this is what could cause incidents like structural collapses.”
Another concern, he adds, is that contractors are cutting back on project staffing, affecting the calibre of people they put on the project.
Issues that management needs to address include appointing site agents who are not sufficiently skilled, competent, or knowledgeable. In an attempt to reduce construction costs, more junior people may be placed on site in the hope that the project gets through.
“ By having skilled, knowledgeable site agents and contractors on-site, the chances of potential design errors or oversight being picked up are far greater, whereas inexperienced staff might not identify them,” Morrow advises.
The Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry( BCCEI) says stronger collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders, increased enforcement, the blacklisting of non-compliant contractors, and the stabilising role of the BCCEI are helping to restore accountability and confidence in South Africa’ s civil engineering sector.
Lindie Fourie, Operations Manager at the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry( BCCEI), says stronger collaboration, increased enforcement, and the blacklisting of non-compliant contractors are helping to restore accountability in the sector. Recent remarks by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure that several contractors have already been blacklisted in 2026 for non-compliance and unethical practices, she says, show that enforcement is gaining traction.
“ Building collapses are often framed as engineering or safety failures, but we repeatedly see a breakdown in labour compliance and site control,” says Danie Hattingh, spokesperson for business at the Building Industry Bargaining Council.“ When workers are not registered, documented, and traceable, the system fails.”
Overall, Fourie says contractors continue to face economic pressure, making compliance, cost control, and consistent infrastructure investment critical to achieving sustainable growth, despite positive signs of recovery.
Professor John Smallwood.
58 winter 2026 | www. tobuild. co. za