SafeBuild Newsletter - Edition 2

Welcome to the 2nd edition of SafeBuild Newsletter  

SafeBuild is a series of Occupational Health & Safety Training DVD's for the South African Construction Industry. It has been locally produced by a specialist team of technical and production experts and is endorsed by both the Department of Labour and Federated Employers Mutual (FEM) The SafeBuild DVD series can be watched in 5 different languages and covers 20 topics! 

SafeBuild News is a monthly newsletter that will look at the various topics that are covered on the SafeBuild DVD and provide you the reader with useful tips and advice to help you:  

• Comply with Health & Safety Legislation and Regulations
• Avoid a fine and/or jail sentence
• Decrease the huge direct and indirect costs associated with an accident
• Increase productivity and efficiency on site

Save your life and the lives of your most important assets - your employees  

The second topic covered on the SafeBuild DVD series is:   

Health and Safety Education, Training and Promotion  

Routine construction work can dull alertness and a relaxed attitude can replace the caution that existed when the job was new and interesting. In many jobs the same tasks are repeated with little conscious thought. Without some periodic reawakening to the ever-present hazards, lethargy deepens and the odds of an accident occurring can increase. 

There are many rules and regulations regarding Health and Safety, but these are useless if not communicated and displayed correctly to the appropriate persons.  This DVD will show, and help guide the contractor to apply the required education, training and promotion to a construction site. The contractor is responsible for the following education, training and promotion aspects:  

1. Company OHS policy
2. HIVAIDS and substance abuse policies
3. Induction Training for all employees and visitors
4. General site OHS rules
5. Hazard identification and task specific training
6. OHS promotion

The SafeBuild Education, Training and promotion DVD will show you how to implement all of the above items. It will take you step by step through each of the requirements and clearly illustrate how to meet these. You can order the SafeBuild DVD online at www.safebuild.co.za 

Safety Tip: Ensure that you keep proof of all the induction training on site. It is in fact a legal requirement that employees carry proof of induction training on them. 

In the next issue of SafeBuild News we will have a look at the third topic of the SafeBuild DVD series which is Public Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness and provide you with some useful tips and advice how to comply with this topic. 

Until next time BuildSafe with SafeBuild.    

Neels Nortje
Health & Safety Manager
Master Builders Association KwaZulu Natal