Under South Africa’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act No. 85 of 1993, employers are required to provide employees with specific health and safety training. The exact OHS Act training requirements applicable to your business or organisation depends on a few factors, including the number of people you employ, the nature of work performed, the associated risk levels, and the requirements of particular regulations that apply to your industry.
In this article, we’ll unpack the core OHS Act training requirements applicable to South African businesses.
Section 8(e) of the OHS Act places a clear duty on employers to provide “such information, instructions, training, and supervision as may be necessary to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees”. An important part of meeting this legal requirement is ensuring that your employees, and your health and safety team members in particular, are properly trained to implement health and safety and emergency preparedness measures in the workplace.
First aid training is one of the most important OHS Act training requirements to be aware of. First aid training is explicitly required under the General Safety Regulations for any workplace with more than 10 employees. The regulations stipulate that at least one trained First Aider must be readily available during normal working hours, and that the First Aider must hold a valid first aid certificate issued by a training provider approved by the Chief Inspector of the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL). Furthermore, the regulation clarifies that as the workforce grows, it is necessary to appoint and train one First Aider per group of 50 employees (or per group of 100 employees in the case of offices and shops).
The course you need: Basic First Aid (Level 1)
Duration: Two days
What’s included: This hands-on first aid course is suitable for all workplaces and teaches critical first aid skills including CPR and AED use, choking treatment, bleeding control, fractures, medical emergencies, and more.
Can I do this course online? No. First aid training must include hands-on, in-person practice of vital skills like CPR, splinting fractures, putting casualties into the recovery position, etc.
Health and Safety Representative training is required under Section 17 of the OHS Act for any business with over 20 employees. Once a Health and Safety Representative is legally elected through an employee election process, the employer must provide adequate training for the appointed individual.
The course you need: Health and Safety Representative
Duration: One day
What’s included: Delegates gain the skills to perform their SHE Rep duties and functions, including performing monthly/quarterly workplace inspections, assisting with risk assessments and incident investigations, representing fellow employees’ OHS interests at Health and Safety Committee meetings, and handling employee complaints.
Can I do this course online? Yes, we offer both in-person and online training for this course.
As mentioned earlier, the Act stipulates that employers have a duty to identify and control workplace risks. This includes fire risks, which exist in almost every workplace. OHS Act fire training requirements are therefore relevant to all businesses. Organisations have a responsibility to implement appropriate fire prevention measures, provision adequate firefighting equipment, and train appointed Fire Wardens to use firefighting equipment and respond appropriately in the event of a fire.
The course you need: Firefighting
Duration: One day
What’s included: This hands-on course teaches Fire Wardens how to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish a fire, which extinguishers can be used on which classes of fire, how to assist with implementing fire prevention programmes, how to assist with fire risk assessments, how to assist with emergency evacuations, and more.
Can I do this course online? No. This course requires delegates to perform practical activities, including extinguishing a real fire with a fire extinguisher.
Evacuation planning training (also known as Evacuation Marshal training) is an essential aspect of emergency preparedness in the workplace. Fires, bomb threats, gas leaks, chemical spills, civil disturbances, or natural disasters could happen at any time, and ensuring that evacuation routes are clearly marked and unobstructed, employees are able to evacuation safely, emergency preparedness equipment is functioning properly, and your health and safety team members understand their roles is vital to getting your employees out safely.
The course you need: Evacuation Planning
Duration: One day
What’s included: We cover South African legislation related to emergency preparedness and evacuations, legal requirements for compliant evacuation floor plans, Evacuation Marshal responsibilities and duties during an evacuation, how to manage specific emergency scenarios, how to conduct compliant drills, and more
Can I do this course online? Yes, this course is available in-person or online.
Health and Safety Supervisor training equips supervisors and managers with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide health and safety training and supervision to employees as required by Section 8(e) of the OHS Act.
The course you need: Health and Safety Supervisor
Duration: Two days
What’s included: This excellent course helps supervisors and managers understand the key requirements of the OHS Act and gives them the skills and knowledge to assist with risk assessments and incident investigations and oversee health and safety in their area of responsibility.
Can I do this course online? Yes, this course is available via online training but can be done in-person if preferred.
Hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA) training equips individuals to identify hazards, assess and rank risks, and suggest appropriate control measures. Removing or reducing workplace risks is a fundamental responsibility of employers under the OHS Act.
The course you need: HIRA
Duration: One day
What’s included: Delegates will learn how to conduct a thorough, logical, and systematic risk assessment, including how to identify hazards, calculate risk levels, suggest appropriate risk control measures using the Hierarchy of Controls, and follow up to ensure that risk control measures are effective.
Can I do this course online? Yes, HIRA training can be facilitated online or in-person.
Ergonomics training is compulsory for all employees exposed to ergonomic risks in the workplace. Because all work — including desk-based office work, retail, manual handling, construction, etc. — exposes workers to ergonomics risks, all employers in South Africa are legally required to provide every employee with ergonomics training.
The course you need: Ergonomics in the Workplace
Duration: 2.5 hours
What’s included: This online workshop is suitable for all employees as it covers ergonomics risks and controls for both desk-based work and manual handling.
Can I do this course online? Yes, this workshop is conducted online via Microsoft Teams.
The Administrative Regulations of the OHS Act stipulate that reportable incidents and accidents must “be investigated by the employer, a person appointed by him or her, by a health and safety representative or a member of a health and safety committee within 7 days from the date of the incident”. Incident investigation training equips an appointed health and safety team member or Health and Safety Representative to carry out logical, thorough incident investigations and complete and submit the required documentation (such as Annexure 1).
The course you need: Incident Investigation
Duration: One day
What’s included: This training covers relevant sections of the OHS Act and equips delegates to conduct thorough, compliant incident investigations using the correct paperwork. Delegates learn how to identify the root causes of incidents and how to implement appropriate risk control measures using the Hierarchy of Controls.
Can I do this course online? Yes, both online and in-person training options are available for this course.
Other specialised health and safety training may be required by the OHS Act regulations based on your specific industry.
Failure to meet OHS Act training requirements can leave both your employees and your organisation exposed. Non-compliance may be identified by a Department of Employment and Labour inspector during a routine or unannounced workplace inspection, or following an incident or accident investigation. Inspectors may request current training certificates as proof that the required employees have been properly trained. Where an employer is found to be non-compliant, the consequences can include notices of improvement or contravention, penalties and fines, temporary business closure and, in serious cases, criminal liability and imprisonment.
It is important to ensure that all required OHS training is completed through an appropriately accredited training provider. Accredited training ensures that the training is recognised by the Department of Employment and Labour and relevant authorities.
Finally, remember that training certificates must be renewed before they expire to maintain compliance. Most health and safety training certificates, including Firefighting, Evacuation Planning and Health and Safety Representative training, are valid for two years, while First Aid certificates are typically valid for three years. Keep a record of certificate expiry dates and arrange refresher training in advance so that your workplace is never left with a gap in certification.
Absolute Health Services is fully accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, the Health and Welfare SETA, and the Department of Employment and Labour to provide a range of OHS Act compliance courses and skills programmes. Contact us to discuss your training needs or use our Speedy Quote calculator to get a quick quote for essential health and safety training based on your company size.
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