SafeBuild News - Edition 1

Welcome to the first 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 first topic covered on the SafeBuild DVD series is: 

Health and Safety Administration

Before any construction work begins it is important to understand and complete the appropriate Health and Safety Administration process.  Although this process often seems boring or unnecessary, long term, well-managed Health and Safety Administration can save lives.  

The Contractor is responsible for the following Administration Processes: 

1. Notification of Construction
2. Copy of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
3. Registration with Compensation Insurer
4. Health and Safety Plan
5. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments
6. Legal Appointments
7. Health and Safety Representatives
8. Health and Safety Committees
9. Agreement with Mandatories (Sub-contractors)
10. First Aid and Facilities
11. Recording, Reporting and Investigation of Incidents

The SafeBuild Health and Safety Administration 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

If the Draft Construction Regulations that were published for comment on 11 May 2010 are promulgated as is, then the Notification of Construction which currently has to be done by the Contractor will have to be done by the Client. It will also no longer be a notification but rather an application for a permit to do construction. The SafeBuild Newsletter will keep all its readers up to date on this and any other changes to the legislation that may be introduced by the Department of Labour.

In the next issue of SafeBuild News we will have a look at the second topic of the SafeBuild DVD series which is Education, Training and Promotion and provide you with some usefull 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