State of affairs: the construction regulations

At a Department of Labour Health and Safety Conference held in Johannesburg in February month, the Department informed delegates that the Construction Regulations will be promulgated in the second half of the year.  Upon hearing this, the Master Builders South Africa Health and Safety Committee, on which Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal  serves , requested  that a meeting be arranged between MBSA and Department of Labour to discuss and obtain accurate information on the state of affairs with regard to this matter. Herewith the feedback received from Master Builders South Africa from the meeting that followed:

"State Of Affairs: The Construction Regulations

Mr. Maphaha mentioned that some of the reasons that were causing delays with regard to the Construction Regulations are that DOL has been receiving more comments about the envisaged permit system. He said that the general feeling was that DOL does not have the required capacity at present to administer the permit system.

The legal department of DOL has also echoed the same sentiments and has urged DOL to build the required administrative capacity and reposition itself to meet the challenges that will be imposed by the permit system. The legal department also suggested that there should be a Plan B in place should things not unfold according to plan so as not to disadvantage contractors with delays in issuing permits. Numerous enquiries were received on whether or not the permit system will be piloted first or implemented from the go. These were some of the challenges that DOL faced and had to resolve.

The Regulations are currently with the Chief Inspector’s office which must address these concerns after which it might be returned to the legal department and the state law advisors. The next task of the Technical Committee will be to work on the guidance notes that will be published with the Regulations at the time of promulgation. "

The Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Health and Safety Department are committed to keeping  you informed on the state of the Construction Regulations and what impact it will have if any on our members.

Neil Enslin | Health & Safety Advisor