Timber iQ August - September 2017 // Issue: 33 | Page 34

FEATURES
the body to distribute the fall arrest forces over the upper
thighs, pelvis, chest and shoulders,’ it states.
SAFETY REGULATIONS
‘The Fall Protection Plan has become an essential safety
feature in construction work to ensure safe work at fall risk
positions and compliance with Construction Regulations
10,’ according to Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal.
The Department of Labour outlines safety requirements
for construction sites in the Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) Act and Regulations no 85 of 1993 under
Construction Regulations of 2014.
“Based on my understanding of safety regulations,
should a house under construction be a double-storey
house or taller, then the construction project must be
registered with the Department of Labour’s Occupational
Health and Safety division,” says Slabbert. Registration of
the project must be lodged before any construction
commences. “This renders the project subject to random
bi-weekly visits by the assigned health and safety officer,
who will do their necessary inspections for compliance,”
he says.
“The main aim of the OHS Act is to curb unsafe activities
and it gives clear guidelines that all stakeholders must
follow and apply in accordance with prescribed methods,”
says Hein Stapelberg, director of Fall Protection Works.
Construction Regulations 10 of the Act details fall
protection guidelines. Some of the guidelines include a
designated contractor who is competent to be responsible
for the drafting of a fall protection plan. This must be
coupled with a risk assessment that details procedures and
methods. Section 10.4 says that a contractor must ensure
that all unprotected openings in floors, edges, slabs,
hatchways and stairways are adequately guarded, fenced
or barricaded or that similar means are used to safeguard
any person from falling through such openings.
“Safety harnesses must be used when working at
heights of 1m or more,” says Slabbert.
The ABCs of fall protection. Image: Capital Safety
PUTTING REGULATIONS ON SITE
Slabbert says that there are also health and safety
regulations governing the use of equipment on site.
“Every person on site must have the necessary training
to use the equipment that they are expected to use.
Workers must have successfully completed a Construction
Education and Training Authority (CETA) accredited training
course on how to use the site equipment. The training
certificates must be inserted into the health and safety file
and remain on site. The same applies to what aspect of the
project with which a worker is involved; if he is building
walls, he must be trained and qualified to build walls,”
he explains.
There are associations and organisations that provide
OHS training. “Improving safety on site must be
undertaken through a multi-faceted approach, other than
identifying hazards and assessing the risks and then
implementing and maintaining safe working procedures,
one of the key elements is training,” says Marc Ferriman,
group director of MRC Group.
32 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2017 //
There are institutions that offer training and certification on
OHS. Image: TFG Pemberton Barn project
A government regulated DC05 first aid kit is mandatory on
every si