contents · 3 national safety january/february 2016 survive through the tough times and to excel...

SAPEMA

Cover story: A merger to overcome toughtimes and create a one-stop shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

News from SAPEMA - 1st Quarter 2016From Clyde’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

2015 SAPEMA golf day in pictures . . . . . . . . . . .22

90 years of the uvex group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Reducing health and safety risks withadequate gas monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

A job safely done with DuPont industrialprotective dlothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Safety through innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

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CONTENTS

SAIOHPresident’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Highlights of the annual SAIOH Conference -October 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

January/February 2016 / Volume 76 Number 1

Cover Story: See page 3

FEATURE ARTICLES

Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Emergency eyewash response best practices . . . . . .6

Safety communication must captivate . . . . . . . . . .8

Vehicle tyre safety and emergency spare wheels . .10

Leading the quality way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Safety compliance for consignors . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

5th Annual Explosives Manager safetyforum - Department of Labour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

2015 Responsible Care® performance report . . .19

West Africa Safety, Health, Environmentand Quality conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

IOSMMessage from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Is safety simply child’s play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Agricultural workers are at risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

ACHASM

The dawning of a new era in ConstructionHealth and Safety in South Africa - Part two . . . . .26

January/February 2016 National Safety www.safety1st.co.za 1

Contributions for this issue from the followingassociations:

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Editor’s Comment

Copyright: 2016 Material appearing in this issue may not be reproduced without the permission of the editor orpublishers in any form whatsoever.The Safety First Association is a non-profit making, privately supported, public service organisation which aimsto prevent accidents by promoting an awareness of accident situations as they exist in day-to-day living amongstmembers of the community.The Publishers and Editors are not liable for any damages or loss incurred as a result ofany statement contained in this magazine. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy inthis publication, neither the Publishers nor Editors accept any responsibility for errors oromissions in the content and reserve the right to edit all contributions. The views expressedin this publication are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editors.

Editor: Debbie Myer

Production Editor: Lindsay Myer

Chairman: George Browse

Vice Chairman: Leighton Bennett

Marketing & Subscriptions: Maureen Schwegmann

Admin Manager: Bruce Schwegmann

Committee members: Leighton BennettStewart ShapiroWensley MisroleGeorge BrowseDebbie Myer

Subscriptions / Administration / Marketing / Promotions3 Kwartel Street Vorna Valley PO Box 321 Halfway House 1685Tel: + 27 11 701-5054 Fax: 086 684 2664E-mail: [email protected]

Advertising & Editorial Delinds Publications cc12 Delta Road, Blairgowrie, Randburg, PO Box 72366 Parkview 2122Tel: + 27 11 886-5985 Fax: +27 11 886-1332Cell: + 27 83-266-6662 E-mail: [email protected]

National Safety is published by the Safety First Association and isthe official journal of• The Institute of Safety Management• Southern African Protective Equipment Marketing Association• Association of Construction Health and Safety Management

National Safety is supported by:• Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene• HASLAC

National Safety incorporates:• Corporate Risk Management• Occupational Hygiene

HASLAC

This is our first issue for 2016, and although it is too lateto wish all our readers a happy new year, it is never toolate to wish you all a safe and healthy way forward.

The year started with many difficulties - not least is ourpoor economic situation. It is upto each and everyone ofus to contribute positively to try and help turnaround theeconomy. Nevertheless, companies cannot cut back onproducts to safeguard their employees. Nor can theyafford to compromise on the quality of their productspurchased. It will be a difficult balancing act.

Building awareness is part of the challenges ahead. TheDepartment of Labour hosted a workshop to empowerthe industry regarding new developments for explosivestraining, and updates regarding the progress with regardto the Explosives Regulations Amendment process. InMay this year, the A-OSH will hold its annual conferenceand exhibition. Several free presentations will be heldthroughout its duration. These include the free-to-attendPASMA Working at Height and NOSHEBO SeminarTheatres.Visitors are encouraged to go onto the A-OSHwebsite to find out more about the programmes - theyare being held for the improvement of the industry at nocost. Worthwhile to attend! Don’t miss out!

In March 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran agroundresulting in an oil spill that had a disastrousenvironmental effect. Twenty five years later there are stillremnants of oil remaining in what was a pristinecoastline. Rob van Hemert examines what went wrong tocause this disaster.

Dr Bill Pomfret looks at a number of chemical plants andlaboratories that he has visited where employees cannotuse the provided eyewash stations resulting in seriousinjuries.

Hope Kiwekete writes that leading the way with qualityleadership needs to be part of any leader’s DNA.

Bad communication still remains a problem with safetyawareness. Is it because employees regard it as boring?Or, heard it before? This will be the case if safety andhealth professionals, continue doing the same things yearin and year out. Brian Darlington emphasises thatcompanies need to find new ways to get people excited.

Another subject that we often cover is road accidents. Inhis article Leighton Bennett looks at the importance oftyres in vehicle safety.

Richard Whittaker touches on the subject of children’snursery rhymes, and questions if they are giving thewrong safety message.

SP van Rensburg. looks at safety and health related issuesfor agricultural workers.

2 www.safety1st.co.za National Safety January/February 2016

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North Safety is pleased to announce itsmerger with Budgie Shearer, whichwas officially finalised in November2015 to give the companies anopportunity to achieve jointmeasurable growth during tougheconomic times.

Budgie Shearer, based in eMalahleni inMpumalanga, was established in 1989and has built a strong reputation bydeveloping long-lasting relationshipswith its suppliers and associating itselfwith top brand names and products.Through this merger, North Safety isable to complement its extensivepersonal protective equipment (PPE)range with cleaning and engineeringproducts.

The Budgie Shearer line of productsinclude; Reinol hand cleaners andindustrial chemicals, Spanjaardindustrial lubricants and sprays, liftingmachinery and repairs, lifting tackleand slings, Megaroller conveyor idlersand scrapers, Allied screen and filterproducts, Petrozorb oil absorbents andoil spill kits, industrial valves and slurrypumps, as well as specialised bolts andnuts.

The partnership between thecompanies is based on mutual benefit.“The companies boast similar valuesand principles, and have a sharedvision for growth in the future. Thiswill benefit both parties andsubsequently the customers, who nowhave access to diverse products thatwill sufficiently cater to the industrial,cleaning and consumables sector,”explains North Safety CEO CraigGarvie and Budgie Shearer, newbusiness development manager.

The PPE industry was previously aniche sector, making many productshard to come by. “New legislation andthe drive by employers to have a safeworking environment for employeeshas since pushed the revolution ofhaving a large chunk of PPE becomemore of a commodity product that isreadily available. North is adapting tothis ongoing trend by growing itsproduct line up to satisfy the current

market demands and trends,” Garviecontinues.

According to Garvie, Budgie Shearer’sgeographical position will allow NorthSafety to further expand its growingfootprint. “As part of the North Safetyfamily, Budgie Shearer will enjoy thebenefits of having support and back-upas the relationship develops. NorthSafety has now strengthenedinfrastructural footprint with thismerger. Some of the systems willchange but the general philosophy ofservice levels and customer satisfactionwill remain the same,” he adds.

Covering over 15 regions acrosssouthern Africa, North Safety continuesto reinforce its staying power byconstantly adapting to changes. Itcontinues to take part in activities thatpromote the expansion of its localmanufacturing through extensiveresearch and development.

Garvie says: “Our aim is to reduce costwith local content to get cost savingson many of our products so that we canpass this saving onto our customers,helping them cope in this tougheconomic climate.”

Garvie highlights that both companieshave a very positive outlook. “NorthSafety’s footprint in Africa has placed itahead of the pack and will be in a greatposition when the economic climateturns. We are making decisions andtaking actions that are helping us

A merger to overcome tough timesand create a one-stop shop

MEMBER OFCover Story

www.sapema.org


survive through the tough times and toexcel when the economy recoversagain. Through combining bothcompanies’ unique strengths into one,we know the partnership can grow anddevelop into the future,” he concludes.

North Safety Products Africa ContactLizette Kasselman Group marketing managerPhone: (031) 705 6085 Email: [email protected]: www.northsafety.co.za

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In March 1989, the oil tanker ExxonValdez ran aground resulting in an oilspill that had a disastrousenvironmental effect. Twenty five yearslater there are still remnants of oilremaining in what was pristinecoastline. What went wrong to causethis disaster?

Some background first. Oil producedfrom the Prudhoe Bay oilfield, thelargest oil field in North America,located on the far north shore ofAlaska, is transported by a 1280kmlong pipeline all the way to the Pacificcoast to the port of Valdez, located onthe NE corner of the Prince WilliamSound (PWS). There, tankers areloaded daily to transport this oil torefineries in California. The T/V ExxonValdez had loaded ~180 000 tons ofNorth Slope oil during the 18 hoursshe was in port, and was ready todepart at about 22:00 on 23 March.Her master had been ashore most ofthat time, some of which was spent intwo bars, where it is reported that hedrank 5-9 double tots of 80 proofalcohol. He arrived back on boardimmediately prior to departure andseemed to be visibly under theinfluence, which is not surprising. Someyears prior to this incident, he had beenconvicted of drunken driving and hadhis driving licence (cars) revoked.Exxon allowed this, now relapsedalcoholic, to continue to drive theirsupertankers, though. This issue is onethat was considered to play a large partin future proceedings.

The 1st mate had been on dutythroughout the loading operation,something that must suck, as he is

always on duty when product transferstake place, in order to ensure that thevessel maintains its trim and damagestability, using the tank managementsystem via the loading computer.Readers may remember the January1979 sinking of the M/V Betelgeuse,which was offloading a cargo of crudeoil in Bantry Bay, Ireland. The tankshad been offloaded in such a way thatthe bows tanks were empty and thebuoyancy thus achieved was pushingupwards, creating high stress andinstability. The bow section eventuallybroke free resulting in a major oil spillof light crude that subsequently causedan explosion, killing all 32 crewmembers and 5 shore personnel onboard at the time. A 1st mate’sresponsibilities concerning trim andstability during any cargo movement, istherefore an important duty whichcannot be delegated. However, all deckofficers rotate their duties on a 4 hourbasis, and his duty was due at thedeparture hour. The 3rd mate, whowas to be relieved by the 1st, decidedto remain on duty to give the 1st somemuch needed rest. The 3rd had alsobeen on duty quite a long time beforethat, something which may also haveplayed a part in the causes for thisincident.

The first section of the PWS istraversed with a pilot on board. Thissection is also monitored by shore basedradar. The pilot reported that icebergsfrom one of the many glaciers thatempty into the PWS, were massingfurther towards the entrance to thePacific Ocean, at Hinchinbrook Point,and for the ship to be wary. State-of-the-art iceberg monitoring equipment,

which the oil industry has promised toinstall, was still not available. Alookout was therefore posted on thebows. When it was time to drop thepilot, the master came onto the bridgeto take over the watch duty, as the 3rdwas then required to see that the pilotwas safely transferred. At about thattime there was a change of crew andthe new lookout was posted on thebridge wing by the master, 300m fromthe bows. It was a pitch black nightand raining lightly, visibility was thusnot too good and this move was thusnot one that looks favourable. Themaster had also been in contact withthe shore radar station and given themtheir position and speed, and asked ifthey could move across the lanes to bein a more favourable position whenexiting into the main part of the PWSat Bligh Island. That was granted asthere was no shipping movement in theincoming lane. However, he was alsounaware of the fact that the US CoastGuard (USCG) had ceased the previouspractice of tracking ships out beyondBligh Reef. The master then proceededto order full speed ahead, even thoughhe’d informed the radar station that hewas moving at half that speed. He didnot bother to inform them of hischange of plan, but, this had nobearing on the incident anyway. It wassimply strange activity on his part,which the prosecution tried to blameon his intoxication. The master furthergave the 3rd an instruction to turn acertain way at a certain point, and thenleft the bridge.

The bridge wing lookout reportedvariously that she could see a certainlight, which marks the Bligh Reef, but

Rob toured much of the Alaska coastline a while back and was struck by

the almost untouched by human handspristineness of the place and the

abundance of wild life, not normallyseen elsewhere. He could only imaginewhat this place would have looked likeafter a huge oil spill soiled this coastline

25 years earlier.

Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster

by Rob van Hemert


the 3rd mate did not recognise thesignificance of this and did not order achange of course. He also went past thepoint where the master had informedhim that he should turn to a newheading, without making the headingchange. A radar on board the ExxonValdez was inoperable (had been forover a year – too expensive to repair)and this inexperienced mate was thus abit on edge. In terms of the company’sregulations, there should have been twowatch officers on the bridge during thispart of the journey. The master, whowas actually the only one on boardlicenced to navigate through the PWS,had not insisted on it, though, and hadhimself left the inexperienced officer incharge of this huge tanker in anextremely complicated navigationlocality. All the hallmarks of a disasterslowly unfolding!

With the 3rd mate at 6’s and 7’s heeventually contacted the master in hisstateroom and told him that he was introuble and needed assistance. He alsomade the heading change but as themaster entered the bridge the ship hitsome rocks and then ran aground onBligh Reef. The master took charge ofthe situation, waking up the 1st officerand telling him to check the tank levelsto see if these were breeched, as oilcould be smelled. (8 of the 11 cargotanks were ruptured, as it wasrevealed.) He continued to run theengine at top speed, hoping to free hisship, but then the 1st officer reportedthat the trim was such that the shipwould sink if freed from the reef. Therethe ship remained, spilling more thanhalf of its cargo.

This spill was the largest in USA watersuntil the Macondo spill in 2010, whichat 3 times the amount of oil spilt thanthe Exxon Valdez, is still the largest oilspill in the world. (South Africaexperienced an oil spill that was twicethe size of the Exxon Valdez one, whenthe Castille de Bellver exploded andsank in the vicinity of Saldahna Bay in1983. Luckily, not much of that 252000 ton spill came ashore.) Theestimated maximum 140 000 tons ofoil spilt into the Price William Soundended up to soil the shore up to 650kmaway to the Southwest from where thetanker grounded. There are many smallislands and inlets that extend thecoastline in Alaska. The clean-up was amost difficult task and cost Exxon overUS$2 billion in direct clean-up costs.

2100 km of coast line was covered inthick oil. It took 3 days to getequipment and men mobilised to startthe clean-up, which took place over 4summers before a stop was put to it.Hot water treatment was initially useduntil it was realised that this was killingother stuff. Cold water at high pressurewas used on rocks, with the oilcollected or absorbed. On beaches,mechanical clean-up with backhoes wasused. On certain beaches theysuccessfully tried bioremediation usingfertilizer. Some minor use of solventsand other chemicals was also tried.However, nature took its course andthe winter storms remediated morelocations than all of the humanintervention combined.

All this effort employed up to 10 000workers, 1 000 boats and 100airplanes and helicopters – Exxon’sarmy, navy and air force, as it becameknown. The death toll amongst sea lifewas horrific. It was estimated that 250000 birds died, 2 800 sea otters, 300harbour seals, 250 bald eagles, 22 killerwhales and billions of salmon andherring eggs. Having sailed throughthese waters not long ago and havingseen all the aforementioned sea life, Ican only imagine how grim the picturemust have been for the locals.

The master of the ship got off lightly,with only a US$50 000 fine and 1000 hours of community service,picking up rubbish along the highwaybetween Anchorage and Seward andserving meals in a hostel in Anchorage.Exxon did not fare so lightly. Afteryears of costly litigation in the Supremeand other courts they were finally

awarded $507 million in punitivedamages and paid up to $1 billion insettling 32 200 civil claims (it isamazing how many people suddenlydevelop symptoms of illnesses, etcwhen something of this naturehappens). People in every one of the 50states of the USA (including 22 inHawaii) made claims of suffering injury,illness or damage due to this spill??

Multiple factors have been identified ascontributing to this incident:

1. Exxon Shipping Company (ESC)failing to properly maintain the radarsystem, the Raytheon CollisionAvoidance System, which, if functional,would have indicated to the 3rd matethat a collision with Bligh Reef wasimpending.

2. ESC failing to provide a sufficientlyrested crew. (This is something that isprevalent in this industry, though, andneeds to be addressed on a much widerbasis.)

3. The oil industry failing to installiceberg monitoring equipment.

4. The master failing to provide aproper navigation watch ie: twonavigation officers on duty as required,and a bow lookout.

5. The ship sailing outside the normalsea lane, in order to avoid smallicebergs thought to be in the area.

6. The tanker crew being half of whatit was previously, thus requiringpersonnel to work up to 14 hour shiftsplus overtime.

7. The need to leave harbour as soon asthe loading was complete. No timeallowed for personnel to rest.

8. The 3rd mate failing to properlymanoeuvre the vessel. This was highlyprobably due to fatigue, an excessiveworkload and inexperience. The factthat icebergs lay ahead could also havemade a turn towards them somethingthat he tried to avoid until the lastmoment.

9. The USCG failing to provide aneffective vessel traffic system. They didnot anymore monitor ships once thesewere beyond a point some way beforereaching Bligh Reef on the way out.

10. The USCG also failing to provideeffective pilot or escort services. Thepilots were dropped well beforereaching Bligh Reef.


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During the past year or so whileconducting 5 Star Health & SafetyManagement System™ Audits, I havebeen astounded at the number ofchemical plants and laboratories whereemployees do not practice, and cannotuse the provided eyewash stations.

My normal auditing practice, is torequest an employee to participate in ashort practical exercise, usually within afew metres of an eyewash station. Iplace a blindfold (issued on the plane)covering the eyes of the volunteer, thenturn him/her around 3 or 4 times, thenpour an egg cupful of water into his /her face, saying it is a caustic mixture.On other audits, I pour whippingcream onto goggles. I then ask them toclean their eyes in the eyewash.

What happens is that the personcannot find the eyewash, unless guided.Then they cannot activate the eyewash- some even have a valve, which isstupid and illegal. All too often I havefound that employees have rarelypractised using the eyewash and are noteffective able to use it.

A chemical eye injury is something toavoid at all costs. It's a painful andfrightening experience and one thatmay leave a person blinded for life. So ifyour workers are exposed to hazardouschemicals and other substances, it'simperative that you do everything youcan to ensure that your emergencyeyewash stations meet the requiredsafety standards to best protectworkers.

Here are some suggestions that Irecommend.

Many eyewash stations are obstructed,do not have the correct demarcation,have unauthorized items inside, are noton a formal inspection or plannedmaintenance programme andemployees have never been properlyinstructed, practised or seen ademonstration of its use. Nor do theyknow that eyes have to be washed forat least 3 minutes.

1. KEEP THE DOORS OPEN

Don't place an emergency eyewashstation behind a closed or locked door.While the station may be usedinfrequently, remember that when it'sneeded, someone's vision is on the line.And every second counts.

2. DON'T HANG THE UNIT AT AN ANGLE

This can interfere with the proper flowof flushing fluid and may force aninjured person to stand in anuncomfortable position to flushproperly for between 15 and 20minutes.

3. DON'T BLOCK ACCESS

Avoid storing anything underneath orin front of an eyewash unit, which canblock an injured worker's ability toreach or stand comfortably at thestation.

4. WATCH THE FLUID'S TEMPERATURE

Don't allow the flushing fluid tobecome too hot or too cold. Storingeyewash in extremely hot or cold

Emergency eyewash response best practicesIn this article, Dr Bill Pomfret discusses the two recent fatal accidents to have takenplace during the annual Hajj pilgrimmage

Managing Consultant, SafetyProjects International,Canada specialises in

auditing and evaluating bothclient and contractor Safety

Programmes and indeveloping with them pro-

active preventative systemsprocedures and programmes to

control all incidents.

by Dr Bill Pomfret


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environments can cause the flushingfluid's temperature to rise or fall outsideof both CSA and ANSI's statedstandard for tepid water. Flushing eyeswith scalding or ice-cold solution cancause further damage to an alreadycompromised eye.

5. FILL THE UNIT PROPERLY

Avoid mistakes when mixing flushingfluid. Both CSA and ANSI requiresthat the unit be filled with flushingfluid or the pre-packaged fluidprovided by the manufacturer. Alwaysprepare fluid according to themanufacturer's instructions.

6. CLEAN THOROUGHLY AFTER USE

Don't forget to clean, disinfect, rinseand completely dry the unit after eachactivation, including hoses, nozzles andnozzle covers (this doesn't apply tosealed-fluid cartridges). Any lingeringcleaning chemicals or particles mayharm the next user's eyes. When thewrong chemicals mix, the fluid mayturn brown or another colour andcoloured fluid is never usable.

7. DON'T COVER THE UNIT

Don't place a plastic bag or othermakeshift cover over the unit to keepdust or particles out. This can hinder aninjured person's ability to activate theunit properly in a single motion andstart the flow in one second or less.

8. CHECK THE SHELF LIFE

Avoid using expired flushing fluid. Likeany standing water, eyewash fluid cangrow bacteria that may be harmful toeyes. Be sure that someone isresponsible for checking stations'expiration dates and refilling/replacingthem according to the manufacturer'sguidelines. Generally, according toANSI Z358.1-2009, weekly flushing isrequired for plumbed stations; everythree to six months for tank-style fluidstations; and every two to three yearsfor sealed-fluid cartridges and bottles.

9. INSTALL THE UNIT CORRECTLY

Don't install an eyewash unit withoutcarefully following the manufacturer'sinstructions. Stations vary and haveprecise installation instructions to

ensure proper performance, never use avalve for turning on, only a touch leverat the correct height, includinginstallation height, the rate of fluidflow, required spray pattern and muchmore.

10. DON'T ALTER OR TAMPER WITH THEUNIT

Again, the manufacturer's instructionsare the only ones that should befollowed. Don't try to re-route hoses,change nozzles or otherwisecompromise the station's performance.

Eyes are one of the most vulnerableparts of the body, in demonstrating theeye’s vulnerability, I crack two eggsonto a saucer, and then put one drop ofa chemical into the yoke, and thedispersion will be remembered byeveryone present.

By understanding how to useemergency eyewash properly, yourfacility can ensure greater workplaceeye safety. And that's a clear benefiteveryone can see.

E-mail [email protected]

Unauthorized obstructions in eyewash stationOpen eyes wide and spray for 15 minutes or longer


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Brian Darlington is the Group Head ofSafety and Health for the Mondi Groupand works out of Vienna. After finishinghis studies with ISCOR, he joined Mondiin 1987 and completed his NADSAMand Logistics diplomas. He worked at

operations in Gauteng and Richards Bayand was transferred to Austria in 2005.Brian was Chairman of the ZululandBranch of IOSM during the years he

spent in Richards Bay.

Safety communication efforts canbecome boring if we, as safety andhealth professionals, continue doing thesame things year in and year out. Let’sface it, the conventional safety andhealth presentation showing thelagging indicators from the previousmonths and years don’t get manypeople excited.

The same applies to the safety andhealth toolbox talks that are presentedto working groups on site.

ANNUAL MAINTENANCE SHUTDISAPPINTMENT

A few months back I was visiting oneof our operations when it was carryingout an annual maintenance shut.Having concerns about the safetyculture of one of the contractorcompanies, a colleague and Iparticipated in the contractor’s dailytoolbox talk. Not surprisingly, what wewitnessed was disappointing: not onlywas it the safety officer rather than thecontractor manager or supervisor thatconducted the toolbox talk, but he alsosimply proceeded to read two full pagesof safety jargon verbatim.

To add to the challenge, the contenthad very little relevance to themaintenance shut activities that werefront of mind at the time of our visit.For example, this particular toolboxtalk would have been an idealopportunity to address the high risk

activities associated with the mill’smaintenance shut, including topicssuch as working at extreme heights andheavy lifts.

But the reality is that, regardless of thefact that the safety content ispotentially life-saving, the way inwhich we deliver that content plays acritical role in how well it is receivedand internalised.

IT’S IN THE WHAT AND HOW

To ensure maximum impact, the waywe communicate needs to captivate ouraudience! We need to catch theattention of employees and contractorsfrom the start; they need to feelcompletely engaged in what we’resaying and how we’re saying it. To dothis, we should:

• Select topics that are relevant to therisks of the current tasks beingconducted as well as department orworking area

• Keep safety talks brief, clear and tothe point

• Ensure talks are focused on the highrisk activities and not the same oldhousekeeping or PPE type issues

• When using photographs to supportyour content, seek images from theactual site

• Avoid only using off-the–shelf /generic safety talks and posters –

ensure a customised message.

• To be more effective HSEprofessionals should assist bydeveloping the communicationmaterial, however the safety talksshould be conducted by themanagers and supervisors. After-allthe message will be more powerfuland have a better effect if theworking teams hear it from theirleaders rather than the HSEprofessionals.

• It is always useful to develop a posteror two that is linked to the safety talkthat has been conducted which canbe placed on the HSE notice boardsafter the communication session. Thisthen acts as a reminder of what wasdiscussed.

• Avoid the clutter; keep the contentsof the posters short and to the point.Once again if using photographs inthe posters try and make use ofphotographs taken at the actual site.

FOCUSED HSE DAYS

Consider having a focused HSE dayeach year during which all sites withinthe company place additional focus onthe HSE topics.

The company that I work for has anannual “Making a Difference Day”during which all operations worldwideare encouraged to dedicate a full day tofocus on the safety, health and

Safety communication must captivate


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environmental issues prevalent in theirworking and personal lives.

The enthusiasm with which employeesembrace these days seems to grow yearon year.

There is so much that companies cando during similar focused HSE days topromote the safety, health andenvironmental programmes and drive aculture of safety. Some examplesinclude:

• Encourage employees and theirfamilies to focus on creating a 24hour safety mindset

• Conduct regular information sessionsfocused on the top risks specific tothat site

• Involve third party companies topromote activities such as road safety,healthy eating, stopping smoking,etc.

• Use simulators to demonstrate the

benefits of wearing a seat belt whenin a vehicle

• Conduct hazard searches duringwhich employees and contractors arerequested to search for specifichazards related to the selected topics.These are then listed and suitableaction plans developed to address theissues identified

• Launch new initiatives, videos,employee engagement initiatives, etc.

• Demonstrate the use of key personalprotective equipment such as fallarrest equipment, breathingapparatus, etc.

• Conduct refresher training for forkliftand other mobile plant andequipment operators

• Involve family members to develop aset of safety posters that can be usedfor an annual calendar.

SO WHAT SHOULD LEADERS DO?

Just think about how many peopleactually listen to the air hostess givingthe safety instruction on an aircraftprior to take off - not many!! Andwhen asked why not, the mostfrequently stated response is “I haveheard it so many times before!” Thesame human behaviour applies to ourindustrial safety communications- if it’sthe same old message delivered in thesame old way, your audience may hearyou but are very unlikely to listen. Thishas no benefit on your drive forcontinuous improvement and zeroinjuries.

Encourage and support your front linemanagers and safety professionals indeveloping suitable skills to be able toprepare and present good, to the pointand interesting safety communicationmaterial. This will without doubt makea huge difference to your efforts goingforward.

•

Thousands of vehicles travel daily inSouth Africa, with everyone relying onfour or more “rubber” contacts withthe road. Lives are dependent on thecontact that the rubber tyres makewith the road.

The question is - how often do weconsider the safety condition of ourtyres? The answer is probably seldom,although our lives depend on it.Let’s consider the issues that impact onour tyres and their safety:• Road conditions – wet, dry, potholes,

etc• Speed and load • Tyre types• Tyre wear and tear – wheel

alignment and inflation• Spare wheels and “skinny” spare

wheels (“marie biscuit” wheels)

All the above issues are interrelated andeach one impacts on our safety whiletravelling.

ROAD CONDITIONS

Unfortunately our road conditions aregetting worse over the years because ofinadequate road maintenance fundingin all Provinces of the country, and thedamage that roads are suffering due toincreasing heavy vehicle use. Potholesare everywhere and hitting one cancause damage from tyre nicks toblowouts and rim damage.

Furthermore, asphalt surfaced to gravelroad conditions impact on the contactability of tyres with the road surface.The safety conditions are impacteddepending if the road surface is wet ormuddy, resulting in aqua-planeing andother risks. While dry conditionsbecome risky when loose materials arelying on the road surface, leading tosteering and higher skidding risks,especially during braking.

SPEED AND LOAD

Our roads have design speedrestrictions which are often exceededespecially by drivers thinking they canhandle anything because of theirperceived “fancy car’s” road holdingcapabilities. The evidence fromaccidents proves otherwise. Speed hasits role in causing road fatalities.Loaded vehicles, including thosetowing loaded trailers, caravans, boatsetc, have increased momentum due tothe load mass and the travelling speed,so that the braking distance and timeto stop the speeding load’s momentumis significantly increased as the tyre’sbraking grip can also be compromisedby the tyre’s condition, the roadcondition and the response time of thedriver to apply the brakes, whichaverages about 0.75 seconds which at60km/hr means travelling some 12.5meters during that driver’s responsetime. All light vehicles must meet thebraking legal requirement of being ableto stop from 40km/hr within astopping distance of 14m.

TYRE TYPES

Very few people understand muchabout tyres except for the rim size, aflat tyre and possibly a radial vs cross-ply tyre difference.

Meanings of these tyre sidewallmarkings• 205 = the tyre width in mm• 55 = the side wall height (aspect

ratio) as a percentage of the tyrewidth (eg. 55% of the tyre width)

• R = radial construction tyre design• 16 = the tyre’s inner rim diameter in

inches• 91 = the tyre’s load rating (eg.

615kg max load)• W = the speed rating of the tyre

under full load (eg. a 270km/hrspeed limit).

Note, having the wrong speed ratedtyre on your vehicle could result in atyre blowout at speed and furtherinvalidate your insurance policy cover.There are specified Rating Tables forthe load and speed rating characteristicsof tyres. See Table 1.

Leighton Bennett of Benrisk Consultingis a SHE and Risk Management

consultant who is both a professionallyregistered safety professional and

graduate, a professionally registeredassociate in risk management and is the

author of PEPMELF based riskassessment process. Leighton is also a

freelance underwriting insurancesurveyor.

Vehicle tyre safety andemergency spare wheels


•

Table 1: Tyre speed rating table

The Tyre Load Rating Table rangesfrom load index 62 = 264 kg to 126= 1700 kg loads per type, for example,with a specific load mass provided foreach single load index numbered listed.

RADIAL VS CROSS-PLY TYRES

All originally manufactured tyres werecross-ply design constructed until radialtyres were invented in the early 1970s.The cross-ply tyre was designed with arigid sidewall which in general does notallow heat to dissipate easily and so thetyre wears out faster. Consequentlyradial tyres are more popular now, butcross-ply tyres still have their place andgenerally can be fitted to vehicles (like4x4s) that work in extremely harshenvironments where there are no roadsand where the tyre risks of gettingsidewall punctures from tree stumps orsharp rocks is common place.

By contrast the radial tyres aremanufactured giving them a flexibleside wall whilst still retaining strength.This flexible sidewall allows greatercontrol over the direction of the tyre onthe road so that the vehicle moves towhere you steered it without anyhesitancy! Also, and of extremeimportance, it allows the tyre to retainits contact patch on all corners ratherthan lean on a corner and lose contact,like a cross-ply tyre may do.

How does one recognise whether thetyre is a cross-ply or radial? This is verystraight forward, for example, acommon sized tyre for a 4×4 is 75016, and if the tyre sidewall is marked as750R16 it is a radial, while no Rdisplayed means a cross-ply tyre.

TYRE SIZE

Vehicle manufacturers design vehicleswith specified tyre diameter sizesbecause of the vehicle mass loads,engine size and gearbox configuration,

as well as road clearance requirements.Recently, some manufacturers aredesigning vehicles with lower profile(aspect ratio) tyres to suit perceivedmarket demands. This appearscommonly among the up-marketvehicles where low profile wheel rimscan be 18inch with 40% aspect ratio or19inch with 30% aspect ratio, whilemost other vehicles have a 55% to65% aspect ratio fitted tyre. The nextissue to consider is whether the sparewheel tyre is a low profile, or a normalor a “skinny” (“marie biscuit”) tyre withthe same overall outer diameter, on asteel or “mag” rim, as the other wheelson the vehicle. Low profile, normal andskinny tyres all have differed aspectratios and so will have different roadholding properties. Skinny tyres have anarrow tread and often have softerrubber compounds to permit more sidewall flexibility. With the result their3mm tread blocks wear down fasterthan normal 5mm tread block tyres.

The issue here is that tyres withdifferent sidewall heights (aspect ratios)flex sideways differently under drivingconditions, especially while drivingthrough road bends or corners. Thisdifferent flexing ability means that tyreroad holding of the less flexing tyrewith a lower sidewall, is placed underhigher stress because it is holding mostof the turning moment. While theother tyre on the same axel is not at itsflexing limit because of its highersidewall (aspect ratio) flexing capacity.This can reduce your steering safetywhile cornering, especially at speed.

TYRE WEAR AND TEAR

Tyre wear and tear occurs to all tyres inuse but bad road conditions can causequicker damage and wear and tear totyres.

The tyre tread depth must be legallymore than 1 mm deep, or when the

tyre wear has reached the wear bar inthe tyre groves. The tread is made of athick rubber or rubber/compositecompound with a pattern of grooves,ribs, lugs (tread blocks), voids and sipes(the water releasing across the tyregroves), which is a tread patterndeveloped by each tyre manufacturerand which is unique to that tyre.

The impact of tyre tread depth and wetto dry road condition on stoppingdistances are significant. See Table 2.

Secondly wear and tear is influenced byboth the maintenance of the vehicleand the tyre itself.

Vehicle wheel alignment and tyreinflation are mayor factors that impacttyre wear and tear.

Inspect your tyres and consider the tyrewear diagrams in Figure 2 and thecorrective actions listed.

SPARE WHEELS AND “SKINNY”(“MARIE BISCUIT”) SPARES WHEELS

The first issue with a spare wheel ishow often to check its inflation -finding a flat spare when suffering apunctured tyre leaves one stranded onthe road side waiting for help or worstbeing attacked. The spare wheel shouldbe checked whenever you do a tyrepressure check at the petrol station.Also consider the spare being pumpedto a slightly higher pressure (eg. 2.5bar) than your other tyres (eg. 2.2 bar)because you may not check it as oftenas you should.

A second issue is that many driversdecide to fit ‘cool’ lower profile (aspectratio) tyres to their vehicle when theybuy a normal set of 4 larger diameter“mag” rims. This means when theyhave a flat tyre emergency they fit thespare wheel which has a different tyresidewall height on the same axel astheir low profile tyre. The tyre sidewall

Speed rating Km/hr Speed Rating

N 140 U

P 150 H

Q 160 V

R 170 Z

S 180 W

T 190 Y

Road condition Tyre condition Driver reaction distance

Dry Tread depth 1m or more 15 m

Wet (2mm water) Tread depth 5mm 15m

Wet (2mm water) Tread depth 1mm 15m

Damp (misty conditions - lifts Tread depth 1mm or more 15mrubber dust & oil to give a slippery film surface)

Table 2: Stopping Distances from 80km/hr, under different road and tyretread conditions


•

flexing of the two tyres is differentwhen driving through road corners andbends, and this risk escalates whendriving at speed. This presents a similarrisk having a radial and cross-ply tyreon the same axel.

Several vehicle manufacturers in theirwisdom provide a reduced sized “mariebiscuit” type tyre as the emergencyspare wheel to provide move usableboot space. This “marie biscuit” tyrehas a narrowed tyre width, a lesser sidewall height than the normal vehicletyre. And although the vehiclemanufacturer’s manual normallysuggests a maximum travelling of nomore that 80km/hr or less, driving atsuch reduced speeds in reality is seldomthe case. For example, I recentlytravelled on the N1 toll road fromNorthcliff, in Johannesburg to theMidrand turnoff and counted 5 carsusing their “marie biscuit” spare wheelsand all travelling at speeds over80km/hr.

Furthermore, spare wheels are beingused for longer periods now than everbefore, probably because of the cost of

re-placing a tyre. With the result, moredrivers are taking the chance of drivingon the spare for longer, but the skinnytyre rubber compound is normallysofter, has a 3mm tread and so willwear out quicker than a normal type.For example, I recently saw a vehicleand its fitted “marie biscuit” wheelparked outside the gym, and a week orso later I saw the same vehicle againstill travelling on its “marie biscuit”wheel. Also I often notice vehicles witha flat tyre parked along the road sidebecause of a usable spare not beingavailable.

CLOSING COMMENTS

To the casual observer all tyres lookalike. Don't be fooled. I hope that Ihave given some insights about tyresand tyre safety.

Today's tyres offer a degree of handling,ride comfort, traction, tread wear andfuel economy that far exceeds tyresmanufactured just a few years ago.

However, the following six point tyresafety checks should be regularly

performed to ensure safe travel:

1. Check overall condition of tyres,including inner and outer sidewalls.

2. Check tyre tread depth.

3. Check all tyre pressures.

4. Check signs of irregular wear.

5. Check and examine the spare wheeltyre.

6. Limit your speed and driving timeperiod should you use a ”mariebiscuit” or different profile sparewheel to the fitted vehicle wheeltyres.

REFERENCES

Professional Driver’s Digest, 7th edition, KRamsden

Benrisk’s Guide to Vehicle Safety, LBennett

Over-inflation

If only the centre of the tread has worn, thetyres are over-inflated.

Keep the tyres at the correct pressure

Incorrect camber

Severe wear on one side of the tyre tread onlyis caused by incorrect camber angle.

Have the angle checked

Under-inflation

If the outside tread of a tyre is worn, the tyreshave been under-inflated.

Keep the pressure correct

Suspension wear

Regular wear across the tread is due to faultysuspension.

Check springs, dampers and bearings

Neglected cut

A cut in the tyre tread will let in water, whichwill rot the plies and cause a chunk to peel off.

Have cuts treated

Flat spots

Tread wear at one point only is caused by thebrakes locking.

Check brake condition

(Note: Camber, track and toe-in or -out are parts of a wheel alignment test, mainly involving the front suspension and the steering wheels)

Figure 1: Checking the condition of your tyres


•

Often times we hear the phrases“Leading by Example” or “Walk theTalk”. These theories will equallyinfluence how we are all keepingquality on track. According to Dr WEdwards Deming, out of his 14Principles, the emphasis is “Instituteleadership” it follows that “Adopt andinstitute leadership aimed at helpingpeople do a better job”. For QualityManagement Systems (QMS) to beeffective and add value to anorganisation, quality leadership needsto be part of any leader’s DNA! Therecent significant change is the revisionand publication of the ISO 9001:2015QMS standard in September 2015. Ithas placed leadership as a CriticalSuccess Factor for an effective QMS.

In clause 5 of ISO 9001:2015, itexplicitly outlines leadership andcommitment obligations topmanagement have to fulfill. Theseinclude, but are not limited to “takingaccountability for the effectiveness ofthe quality management systems”. Weagain see emphasis being customer-centric. This will be an on goingcommitment within and outside theorganisation by meeting customer aswell as applicable statutory andregulatory requirements. Theestablishment of the quality policy,quality objectives, conductingmanagement reviews, and ensuring theavailability of resources areresponsibilities that will still have to bemaintained.

PACE SETTERS THROUGH THEQUALITY POLICY

Any quality policy needs to beappropriate to the businessenvironment. This is where topmanagement outlines its intentionstowards quality. In clause 5.3, itrequires that “the commitment tocomply with the requirements and

Hope Kiwekete is the ManagingConsultant at Centre for Enterprise

Sustainability (Pty) Ltd.

continually improve QMS, and theframework for establishing the qualityobjectives and periodic reviewingthem” are part and parcel of topmanagement’s responsibilities.

CUSTOMER FOCUSED LEADERSHIP

The shift from “business as usual” to amore customer focused approachensures the sustained success for anyorganisation. Top management willneed to ensure that risks andopportunities that could impact onhow the organisation delivers theproduct or services to its customers areidentified and controls implemented. Itis remarkable that many customers arenow paying attention to supply chainrelated risks.

ALIGNMENT TO STRATEGIC GOALS

Although in the past ISO 9001 hadseen its way in the board rooms, it waswas not common for some executivesto ask the tough question i.e., how doesthe QMS support the strategic goals ofour organisation? This can be achievedamong others, by checking whether therelevant functions within theorganisation have aligned their qualityobjectives to the strategic direction ofthe business. It is now a requirement inISO 9001:2015 clause 9.3 formanagement review. As topmanagement reviews the QMS, theywill also be paying attention to its“alignment with the strategic directionof the organisation”.

QUALITY CHAMPION

The revised ISO 9001:2015 makes nomention of appointment of amanagement representative. This role

has now been broadened in clause 5.3“Organisational roles, responsibilitiesand authorities”. As was the case in theprevious ISO 9001:2008 standard, themanagement representatives werehighlighted in clause 5.5.2 such as “a)ensuring that processes needed for thequality management system areestablished, implemented andmaintained, b) reporting to topmanagement on the performance of thequality management system and anyneed for improvement, and c) ensuringthe promotion of awareness ofcustomer requirements throughout theorganization”. Although someorganisations were keen on outsourcingthe management representativefunction, they should be aware of therisks involved in championing qualityfrom outside instead of within theorganisation.

CONCLUSION

The revised ISO 9001:2015 standardwill certainly enhance how topmanagement influences and spearheadsquality improvements throughout theorganisation. By helping theiremployees do better and becomingpace setters whilst championingquality, they will ensure strategicalignment of quality objectives to thestrategic direction of theirorganisations. In the end they will be“Leading the Quality Way”. This willbe translated into internal and externalcustomer satisfaction.

REFERENCESThe fourteen points for management:https://www.deming.org/theman/theories/fourteenpoints accessed 11 February 2016.

Clarke, 2015 ISO9001: 2015 Achieving SuccessfulCertification: http://www.pmi.co.uk/iso9001-achieving-successful-certification/ accessed 11February 2016.

ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems-Requirements for Use ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems-Requirements for UseMaking Quality Work- A Leadership Guide For TheResults Driven Manager, Y.S. Chang, GeorgeLabovitz and Victor Rosansky, Published byHarper Business, 1993

The views expressed in this article are the views ofthe author. They are not intended to substitutelegal or professional advice.

Leading the quality way

Figure 1. Example of a Leadership CaucusSource: http://www.pmi.co.uk


•

Consignors will be liable for all costsassociated to any damage incurred toproperty and the environment due tonon-compliance of the new regulations.Local and International industry leadersand regulators from the South AfricanMaritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)and the National Department ofTransport, gathered in Durban last yearfor the third International CargoTransport Units (CTU) PackingRoadshow, where the importance ofcomplying with the new CTU codesand weight verification Regulationswere addressed and discussed.

Consignors and any company involvedin the transport of cargo, whethergeneral freight, refrigerated ordangerous goods by road, rail or water,in any form of container, trailer, tankeror rail car, will be required by law toimplement and adhere to the newIMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice forPacking of Cargo Transport Units(CTU)*. Compliance requires contentsto be firmly secured to preventmovement when transported,particularly under turbulent conditions,as well as a stable distribution of weight(within the weight limitations) insidethe container prior to sealing andshipping the consignment. The newregulations for the verification ofcontainer weight will come into effectin July 2016. This means that theconsignor, in other words, the companyresponsible for packing the contents,will be liable for all the costs associatedto any damage incurred should anincident occur while the cargo is intransport.

Captain Richard Brough from London,

Safety compliance for consignors

Liz Anderson, ExecutiveDirector at RPMASA

Director of the International CargoHandling Coordination Association(ICHCA - the leading NGOassociation representing the interests ofthe global cargo handling industry)commented, “Container weightverification is crucial as part of thiswhole process; being a tonne or so outon your calculations can havedevastating effects and cause majoraccidents and losses. With these newmeasures, it is hoped that high impactincidents will be significantly reduced,if not eradicated.”

Justin Reynolds from the InternationalMaritime Insurance company TT Clubadded that, “Disastrous transportincidents are often a result of a dominoeffect following a single cause, whetherits weight, packing or securing related.

It’s therefore exceptionally importantthat we encourage behavioural changethrough regulations at all levels of thesupply chain, to reduce loss and seriousliability.”

Representatives from South AfricanMaritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)and the Department of Transportendorsed the need for greaterawareness, implementation andcompliance by South African industriesto reduce incidents in all modes oftransport. The next stage is to createawareness about the availability of theamended CTU Code and weightverification regulations, and to trainstaff appropriately, which will result inimproved compliance and fewer

Hefty fees and penalties await consignors of cargo who do not adhere to the newContainer Packing Code of Practice and the verification of Container WeightRegulations for transport.

devastating incidents.

The extensively revised and upgradedIMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practicefor Packing of CTUs was approved inJanuary 2014 by the InternationalMaritime Organisation (IMO) andUnited Nations Economic Council forEurope (UNECE) TransportCommittee, and in November by theInternational Labour Organisation(ILO), thereby protecting workersloading the cargo and also preventingaccidents during transport. Companiesinvolved in any form of CTU logisticsmust comply with the new Code thisyear and the weight verificationregulations by July 2016.

The event was organised for ICHCAby, and in partnership with theResponsible Packaging ManagementAssociation of Southern Africa(RPMASA). Executive Director atRPMASA, Liz Anderson says, “We arethrilled about the great turn-out forthe event. It goes to show that manyindustry professionals are eager toensure their operations comply withinternational regulation. However thisis just a start and there are stillhundreds of organisations out therewho need to be trained!Email RPMASA [email protected] or visitwww.rpmasa.org.za.

The new IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for CTUPacking is available and can be downloaded from theUNECE website.http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2014/itc/id_07_CTU_Code_January_2014.pdf


ood day to all IOSM Members!

By the time you read this, we will be well into the New Year.But I would still like to use this forum to wish everybody avery prosperous year. May your goals be achieved!!

The IOSM National Council had a strategic planning sessionearly in January to formulate our strategic actions for theyear and the medium term. We also used is to reflect on ourprogress during 2015. After some robust debate on variousissues and approaches, we decided to focus our attention onincreasing our general membership, corporate membershipas well as our professionally registered members.

Logically we will also be taking the process we started torestructure the IOSM’s activities driven by our branches,forums and electronic interaction a step further.

The web-based platform also needs further developmentbefore it will meet all our requirements. We will keep youupdated on the developments in this regard as we progress.

The IOSM will again be actively involved in A-OHSExpothrough our participation in NOSHEBO. Besides the widespectrum of exhibitions that can be visited from 24 to 26May at the Gallagher Convention Centre, you may alsoattend the NOSHEBO Seminar Theatre free of charge! Theofficial programme will be communicated along the A-OHSExpo channels as well as through our normal IOSMchannels.

Those that attended last year will be able to vouch for thefact that we had a very interesting programme presented bythe some of the best professionals in Occupational Safety,Occupational Hygiene and Personal Protective Equipment,not only in our country, but internationall as well. Expectmore of the same this year! We have again approached theChief Inspector from the DoL and his senior staff to presenton topical issues, amongst others. Keep your eyes peeled formore detail on the A-OHSExpo soon!

We are expecting a number of things to happen in ourdiscipline again this year, so watch this space for all theinteresting news from IOSM’s office!Greetings, Joep Joubert

•

Joep Joubert

Message fromthe President

Now in its second edition, this South African occupational

health and safety handbook is a necessary aid to anyone

responsible for occupational health and safety.

Containing about 400 pages of information, it is invaluable

to any SHE practitioner, engineer and any other person who

has an interest in creating a safe workplace.

Readers and students will find the text easy to read and the

illustrations easy to follow.

It will also be valuable to the list of “must read” and

reference publications of chief executive officers, engineers

and other top managers who often have a responsibility for

the health and safety of the workers in their enterprise.

Universities and other tertiary educational institutions will

find the book a very handy source for prescribing to their

students whilst libraries would do well to make it available

to the wider public.

UPDATED SECOND EDITIONNow Available!!

A comprehensive guide on everything you need to

know about occupational health and safety in over

400 illustrated, easy to read pages.

Tel: 011-701-5054 - Email: [email protected]: www.safety1st.co.za


•

review and issue a “Lessons Learned”statement because, sure enough, Insey-Winsey spider climbed up the spoutagain!

In Rock a bye Baby - why would oneactually put a baby in a cradle “on thetree top”? Possibly a lazy child minderwho wants the wind to blow so thatthe cradle would rock. But we can’teven say that the minder did this out ofignorance of the possible outcomessince the last lines of the poem give areally succinct hazard identification –“when the bow breaks the cradle willfall” (and “when” implies a higherprobability than “if ”), even citingpossible outcomes - “down will comecradle, baby and all”!

I’m writing this in Cape Town where,quite unseasonably, it’s Raining and it’sPouring but I’m not snoring. However,the old man of the rhyme, whobumped his head as he went to bed,obviously had undiagnosed concussionsince he couldn’t get up in themorning!

Despite the above examples, the safetygame, as we all know, is more than justchild’s play. But here’s a suggestion.When you’re next doing a riskassessment, especially with aninexperienced team, why not offerthem these, or your own favouritenursery rhymes, as an ice breaker to getthem in the right frame of mind?

I have the pleasure of living very closeto my daughter and her growingfamily. My granddaughter, AnnieCatharina – named after bothgrandmothers who have passed on – isnow 20 months old and dotes on her“Obi” (that’s our family name forOupa). Anniebeg (Wee Annie in Gallic– her dad’s a Scot) loves having Obiread her nursery rhymes and it struckme that in these kid’s poems, many ofwhich are centuries old, are somesalutary lessons on safety from whichwe can all learn.

We all know that “Ring a-ring a-rosies”is a rhyme based on actual issuesrelating to the Bubonic Plague in1665, so why shouldn’t we look atmore of them as if they have “real life”context?

Take, for instance, Humpty Dumpty. Heshould never have been allowed towork at height in the first place. Hismedical examination would havehighlighted his fragile exoskeleton, notto mention his disproportionate bodyshape and limb sizes, neither of whichwere exactly predispositions forworking at height – not to mention hishigh cholesterol!

But wait – shouldn’t that ladder extendat least 900 mm above the landing?He’s also carrying “equipment” in hisleft hand whilst climbing the ladder –who knows why he should need awhite flag!

And there was obviously no fallprevention or protection plan or even adecent emergency response plan.Bringing in soldiers when skilled firstaiders and paramedics were required isall too obvious. Soldiers would bring atotally incorrect skill set to the table -not to mention the horses; no wonderthey couldn’t put him together again!

So what about Jack and Jill? Was Jackadequately trained in carrying pails ofwater? Was he medically fit to do so?Five litres of water plus the weight ofthe wooden bucket may well have beentoo heavy a load for such a young manand, speaking of which, was he coveredby the Health and Safety of Children atWork Regulations?

Even at his tender age, he may wellhave been distracted by Jill’s goodlooks and slim ankles so would nothave noticed the slip/trip/fall hazards.The result? A fractured skull.

And when he ran home (to his“employer”?), again no emergencyresponse plan. He received no medicalattention apart from a vinegar andbrown paper dressing - neither ofwhich are in the First Aid Boxrequirements of GSR 3; and as forsending him to bed when there ispossible concussion..! The incidentreport is incomplete since we have norecord of what happened to Jill – is thisgender discrimination?

Insey-winsey Spider? We all know that heclimbed up the water spout; a classicconfined space entry issue (GSR 5) withrisk of engulfment (GSR7)! Sureenough, down came the rain andwashed the spider out.

He was lucky that the sun dried himout but obviously the incident was notreported to the H&S committee to

Is safety simply child’s play?


by Richard Whittaker -Marketing/PRO IOSM

•

Agricultural workers are often at risk ofwork-related injuries, lung disease,noise-induced hearing loss, skin disease,as well as certain cancers related tochemical use or prolonged sunexposure.

The most common cause of fatalagricultural injuries is tractor rollovers,which can be prevented by the use ofroll over protection structures whichlimit the risk of injury in case a tractorrolls over.

Pesticides, biocides and other chemicalsused in farming can also be hazardousto worker health, and workers exposedto such chemicals may experienceillnesses or birth defects. As an industryin which families, including children,commonly work alongside theirfamilies, agriculture is a commonsource of occupational injuries andillnesses amongst younger workers.

Workers often work long hours, someas much as 60 hours a week. They arealso frequently exposed to dust whileworking the soil, gases from vehicleand machinery exhausts, fumes andvapours during manual and aerial cropspraying activities and/or during theircooking activities in their domesticenvironments.

Apart from basic induction training, allagricultural workers should be trainedin:

• How to use machinery safely.

• Good manual handling techniques.The lifting of heavy objects.

• Confined space entries such ascleaning inside a grain silo, pits andsumps.

• The danger of electricity andoverhead power lines.

• The handling of hazardous chemicalsubstances.

• Biological hazards in agriculture.Contact with animals may result inzoonosis (diseases transmitted fromanimals to humans), includingringworm or leptospirosis from cattleor rats.

• Noise induced hearing Loss.

• Vibration (hand-arm vibrationsyndrome) from work withchainsaws, brush cutters or hand-fed

circular saws.

• Natural substances - occupationalasthma from grain dusts or insectsused for biological control of pests;farmer’s lung/mushroom worker’slung from moulds or spores from hay,straw or mushroom compost; ortetanus.

• Other substances - occupationaldermatitis from work involvingexposure to solvents or disinfectants.

• Pesticides, poisoning byorganophosphates and bromides.

• Working at height.

• Exposure to weather conditions.

• Reporting of work related injuriesand diseases.

• The use of PPE.

Occupational health and safety trainingin the agricultural sector, like all otherwork environment sectors, is of utmostimportance in the prevention ofOccupational Injury and diseases.

Agricultural workers are at risk

S.P. van Rensburg. (ROSPrac)


•

5th Annual Explosives Manager safety forumThe Department of Labour hosted the 5th AnnualExplosives Manager Safety Forum on 26th November 2015at Sanlam Auditorium in North West University,Potchefstroom

The theme of the workshop was “Explosives Managerempowerment”.

Even though the workshop was empowering the industryregarding new developments for explosives training, we

utilised the platform to update the industry regarding theprogress with regard to the Explosives RegulationsAmendment process.

Our own Deputy Director General: Inspection &Enforcement Services (Ms Aggy Moiloa) was the key notespeaker and made the industry aware that her office is openand willing to work with the industry towards compliance.

Among the speakers were representatives from ChiefInspector SAPS, National Institute for ExplosivesTechnology, Explosives manager, University of South Africa(UNISA), University of Pretoria (UP), North WestUniversity (NWU), and Interference Testing Service (ITC),

Mr Rudzani Ramabulana (from DoL) and Col Jurie vanStaden (from SAPS CIE) Co-Chaired the workshop whichwas attended by about 300 delegates.Amongst various speakers, the following topics were coveredduring the presentation:• Explosives Regulations amendments• Explosives manager qualification• Explosives training• Radio Frequency Devices in the Explosives Environment• Explosives control by SAPSThe Department is still to host the final workshop once theconsultation period is finalised in order to discuss the draftregulations.

ARE YOU MEETING ALLOCCUPATIONAL AND

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES?

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September/October 2015 National Safety www.safety1st.co.za 17

•

Launched by Executive Director ofChemical and Allied Industries’Association, Deidré Penfold inNovember 2015, the report coveredthe chemical industry’s progress inmeeting the Responsible Care®Initiative principles, its safety andhealth statistics for on and off-roadactivities, assessed the industry’sresource efficiency in terms of energy,water, waste and greenhouse gasemissions performance related toproduct stewardship and itscommunity outreach progress.

Under Safety and Health, theassociation noted that of the tenfatalities recorded for 2014, sixoccurred during the signatory’s ownroad transportation activities – onceagain reflecting increased risk whentransporting own material. It ishowever encouraging that 75.5 % ofsubmissions indicated that there is animplemented behaviour-based safetyprogramme for employees andcontractors.

The Recordable Injury Incident Rate,due to exposure to chemicals, hasdeclined since 2013 activities, whensegregation between material-relatedand material-unrelated recordableinjuries was first reported.

Of the reporting signatories, 71.8 %reported that no handling incidentsoccurred during 2014 activities. Thisresult, reported for the first time thisyear, provides an excellent base onwhich to improve in the years to come.

There has been selective incorporationof aspects of the Globally HarmonisedSystem (GHS) of Classification and

Labelling of Chemicals into SouthAfrican legislation. At each point of thechemical value chain, there is aresponsibility to manage chemicals in asafe and responsible manner. Theprinciples and potential benefits ofproduct stewardship practices still needto be entrenched in many signatories’day-to-day operations. There has beenno substantial increase in theproportion of signatories that positivelyreport that product stewardshipprinciples are a part of the company’soperations.

There is a marked increase, since 2013in the proportion of signatories thathave reported that a CommunityAwareness and Emergency ResponseCommittee is in place on site. CAIAonce again reiterates the importance ofinvitations to community members sothat aspects such as generalhousekeeping, standard operatingprocedures, professionalism andconduct can be observed first-hand.Such activities have the potential to

build confidence and positiverelationships with communitymembers.

There is a high level of confidence inthe overall effluent discharge rate thathas been calculated - a further 48 %less effluent was reported to bedischarged per tonne of tradedproducts.

CAIA notes an increase in theproportion of signatories that havewaste minimisation plans in place(85.4% compared to 83.2% for 2013activities) across all signatories.

As Responsible Care® signatories,manufacturers and warehousers ofchemicals must undergo a mandatoryindependent third-party verificationaudit that assesses the improvement inimplementation of the eightResponsible Care® ManagementPractice Standards, every three years.

To view the report, go towww.caia.co.za/responsible-care/resources.

CETA Approved Access Scaffolding Training & CertificationCETA Accreditation Number : 4P4592

• Scaffold Erectors (System, Selflock and Alluminium Scaffold)• Scaffolding Inspection• Scaffold User Training (Working at Heights)• Advanced Scaffold Erection & Inspection

Reinhardt - 082 300 6867 Michael - 082 372 [email protected] [email protected]

Michelle - 011 842 4001 Jean-Pierre - 082 923 [email protected] [email protected]

Jan-Paul - 082 440 3597 Susan Cerenko - 083 282 [email protected] [email protected]

Deidré Penfold, executive directorChemical and Allied Industries

Association (CAIA),

2015 Responsible Care® performance report


•

Safety Advocacy & EmpowermentFoundation Nigeria in conjunctionwith SHEQ Foundation Ghanasuccessfully organised the 4th WestAfrican Safety, Health, Environmentand Quality (WASHEQ) Conferenceand Exhibition, held in Lagos, Nigeriaon the 5th of December, 2015. Thetheme was “Driving Change, CreatingValue ... from Vision to Action”.

The WASHEQ Conference andExhibition is an annual gathering ofstakeholders in the area ofOccupational Safety, Health,Environment and Quality acrossindustries in West Africa to deliberateand learn best practices in SHEQ(Safety, Health, Environment andQuality), to help reduce workplaceaccidents and safeguard ourenvironment for future generations.The 2015 event was powered by Nilesupport services that ensured a smoothand successful conference.

In their welcome address Mr KadiriShamusideen, National CoordinatorSafety Advocacy and EmpowermentFoundation and Ella Agbetor, DirectorSHEQ Foundation, emphasized that byachieving better health and safety,through managing real risks, willdeliver huge benefit – in terms of lessharm and suffering to the workforce aswell as financially to the bottom line.So, it’s not a case of only being able toafford a certain level of health andsafety – it’s about having a moreproductive, efficient and effectivebusiness with everyone sharing in thebenefits.

Representatives from GovernmentAgencies including NationalEnvironmental Standards andRegulations Enforcement Agency(NESREA), Lagos State SafetyCommission (LSSC), Lagos State FireService attended the conference.

Other participants includedrepresentatives from HSEQProfessional bodies such as the Instituteof Safety Professionals of Nigeria

(ISPON), World Safety Organization(WSO), American Society of SafetyEngineers (ASSE), InternationalAssociation of Safety Professionals(IASP), International Institute of Risk& Safety Management, Nigerian RedCross and Corporate Institute of Risk &Safety Management (CIRSM).

There were presentations from fifteenspeakers who represent the “best of thebest” in Occupational Health & Safety,Quality and Environment fromNigeria, Ghana and Republic of Benin.Several HSEQ issues were identifiedand solutions provided by the speakersand participants. Dr Oyet Gogomary,the HSE Manager of Oando Petroleumpresented a paper on creating a cultureof personal accountability andcompliance: A tool for ImprovingSafety Culture using his own personalexperience from Oando on how toimprove the safety culture in workplaces, other topics covered includedUrban Mining (environmental impactof urban mining).

Excellent partnerships and allianceswere established and continued supportfor SHEQ Foundation and SafetyAdvocacy & EmpowermentFoundation will ensure that we cancontinue to provide a place and timeeach year for the WASHEQ conferencewhere personnel can be empowered.All the attendees agreed to meet inGhana in 2016 for the 5th WestAfrican Safety Health Exhibition

For more detailed information aboutthe 2015 and previous conference,please visit www.lanyrd.com -presentations have been uploaded.Search using WASHEQ as the keyword.

For more information on SAEFactivities in Nigeria please visitwww.safetyadvocacy-ng.org or forSHEQ Foundation -www.sheqfoundation.org

Contact [email protected]

West Africa Safety, Health, Environment and Quality conference

Ella Agbetor, Director, SHEQ Foundation.Ghana

Participants

Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi Nigeria


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Dear Sapema Members,

As EXCO, we are fully aware that ourmembers are looking for clear directionfor the association during these difficulttimes.

Our market is always challenging uswhen it comes to upholding qualityproducts, and with many of the bigmining houses going through a series ofrestructuring and cost savings,balancing quality and competitivepricing brings about the need for ourmembers to ensure that there is nocompromise on safety.

As SAPEMA, we will continue to assistour members in our dealings withSABS, our development of trainingmaterial, influencing standards for theindustry and participating in tradeshows.

Our desire to make our website moreuser-friendly and of better value to ourmembers will be a priority during thisyear.

Clyde Beattie: Chairman

2015 GOLF DAY: 17 NOVEMBER

The Annual Sapema Golf Day tookplace on 17 November at theModderfontein Golf Club and aGREAT DAY was had by all.

The event was kicked off with ashotgun start and 14 x 4 ballsparticipated. (See the photostory)

The venue and food was excellent andthe weather very good.

News from SAPEMA1st Quarter 2016

From Clyde’s Desk

News

www.sapema.org

Cricketer Fanie de Villiers was the guestspeaker at the evening function and thegolf day profit of R22 000 was donatedto a charity of his choice.

All the golf day photographs may beseen on the Sapema website atwww.sapema.org.

A-OSHEXPO 2016: 24 TO 26 MAY

Sapema has once again, negotiatedfavourable conditions for its membersparticipating in A-OSH Expo this year.Members will be receive a 5% discounton their exhibition stand fee.

Interested members are advised tobook early as choice stand positions arealready being snapped up.

Sapema, together with the Institute ofSafety Management (IOSM) and theSafety First Association, under theumbrella of NOSHEBO, will berunning the Seminar Theatre at theExpo again this year. We will also hostan information stand as in past years.

IMPROVING SAPEMA’SADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

As reported in the previous newsletter,the 2015 AGM had requested Exco toresearch the possibility of improvingthe administrative function to meet thegrowing demands of the expandingactivities and growing membership.

Sapema Exco has now done thenecessary research and is expected tofinalise its decision at the next Excomeeting on 2 March.

SAPEMA PPE HANDBOOK

The handbook is progressing well. Thefollowing chapters have beencompleted:

• Head Protection

• Hearing Protection

• Respiratory Protection

• Eye & Face Protection

• Fall Arrest

Other modules being developed are:

• Foot Protection

• Instrumentation

• Workwear & Reflective Clothing

TRAINING FOR SAPEMA MEMBERS’SALES STAFF

The next training session in Gautenghas been arranged for 24 February andwill deal with the module for FallProtection with Duane Basson of HSESolutions as the presenter.

KZNatal will also conduct a secondsession soon.

Safest Greetings,Ray StrydomSecretary

SAPEMA OFFICE BEARERS

National Exco

Clyde Beattie - Chairman

Ravesh Rama - Vice-Chairman

André Eloff

Deleane Luzzatto

Mike Freemantle

Neels Coetzee

Justin Goldblatt

Loren Pearson

Stephen Burrow

Ray Strydom - Secretary

Mobile 083 273 5513

Tel. 012 661 5166

Email [email protected]

Inland Branch

André Eloff - Chairman

Michelle Mitchell - Secretary

Tel. 011 477 0190

Email: [email protected]

KZNatal Branch

Justin Goldblatt - Chairman

Ravesh Rama - Secretary

Tel. 031 304 8336

Email [email protected]


•

www.sapema.org

2015 SAPEMA golf day in pictures

Modderfontein Golf Club lies sleeping in the early morning light ...

... to be rudely awakened by the Golf Day Hooligans

14 Teams: who are going to be the winners and who will trail behind them?

Warming up orpractising?

The first shot?

Oops!

The day continuous!

Midday

Sundown


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Fanie de Villiers – Guest Speaker & Master of Ceremonies

Auctioning cricket mementos forcharity

Ending the day with our secondfavourite pastime – Golf being the first!

Evening function

Honouring the Pioneers – CobusKruger who retired recently

Prize-winners

www.sapema.org

For membership and other information on SAPEMAvisit: www.sapema.org


•

Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene

I would like to take this opportunity towish to all our SAIOH members,partners and stakeholders a prosperous2016. Considering that we are nowentering a new year, we as SAIOH alsowant to especially thank CasBadenhorst, the outgoing President, forhis dedication, commitment and hardwork during 2015. Cas will continue toserve on SAIOH Council and Exco asSAIOH’s Past President. SAIOHCouncil and Exco of 2015 also want tothank our administrative staff, KateSmart and Lee Doolan, for their effortsand commitments in 2015, inachieving SAIOH’s goals andobjectives.

2015 IN REVIEW

For SAIOH and us in general, 2015could be considered a very successfuland memorable year in terms ofgrowth and development. As youknow, SAIOH adopted a 5-yearstrategy in 2014, and is thereforecommitted to achieving certainstrategic goals (focus areas) with theonset of each year, until the year 2020.

In 2015, our strategic focus area was toprovide sustainable support systems tonurture (or foster) growth (orprogression) of SAIOH and theoccupational hygiene discipline. It iswith pleasure to announce that, as partof our strategic focus area for 2015,SAIOH (with specific reference to ourChief Administrative Officer, KateSmart) has managed to successfullyimplement the MySAIOHmembership management system.Kate presented this initiative atSAIOH’s annual conference in CapeTown in October 2015, explaining thesystem and its benefits to attendees.Julie Hills, the PCB chairperson, andteam also put in a lot of hard work andeffort in updating and renewing the

PCB’s assessment system for assessingand certifying Occupational HygieneProfessionals in South Africa.

As part of our strategic focus area,SAIOH Council and Exco alsomanaged to update SAIOH’s QMSand Manual, aligning it withSANS/IEC 17024 requirements, andaiming at South Africa NationalAccreditation System (SANAS)accreditation in the near future.

It is also my great pleasure to announcethat we had a very successful and wellattended annual SAIOH Conference in2015. The conference was held from 28to 30 October 2015, at the LagoonBeach Hotel (Hotel and ConferenceCentre) in Cape Town. The Conferencecovered keynote, topical and technicalpapers, presented by local andinternational presenters. The abstractswill be published in the next issue ofOccupational Health South Africa.

In November 2015, SAIOH and theAmerican Industrial HygieneAssociation (AIHA) signed aMemorandum of Understanding,paving the way for closer cooperationbetween the two professional bodies,but also with the aim to shareinformation to the advancement of theoccupational hygiene profession insouthern Africa. One of SAIOH’sformer presidents, Peter (Jakes) Jacobs,played a pivotal role in seeing theprocess through until theMemorandum of Understanding wassigned.

PROSPECTS FOR 2016

In 2016, our strategic focus area willshift to build SAIOH’s capacity on alllevels and to strengthen branches inorder to engage members at grassrootslevel (ownership through involvement).This means that we will revisit ourbranch structures to ensure that weengage our members to theadvancement of the occupationalhygiene profession. This will requiresome structural changes be made toSAIOH branches to ensure that wemaximize our efforts in support of our

vision and mission. As part of ourcommitments, vision and mission, wewill consider establishing new branchesin some of our provinces andneighboring countries, e.g. Namibiaand Botswana.

SAIOH will hold its 2016 annualconference in the beautiful settings ofMpumalanga Province, from 26 to 28October 2015. We hereby invite all ourmembers, partners, stakeholders andother interested parties to attend theconference to promote the occupationalhygiene profession and OH practice insouthern Africa.

A formal announcement will be madeon SAIOH’s Council composition for2016, after the Council meeting to beheld on 29 January 2015. We want tothank everyone who nominated andvoted for member(s) to serve on theCouncil for 2016.

THE WAY FORWARD

It needs to be reiterated that SAIOHCouncil and Exco, with the support ofour members, partners andstakeholders, will continue to strive toimprove and commit SAIOH inadvancing occupational hygiene insouthern Africa. In 2016, SAIOH willalso strive for accreditation in terms ofthe SANS/IEC 17024 requirements.

Most of the groundwork for this wasperformed in 2015 when updatingSAIOH’s QMS and Manual.

As part of the QMS update, and inalignment with SANS/IEC 17024requirements, some structural namechanges with regard to certain SAIOHstructures were proposed. An officialannouncement will be made once thesechanges are officially endorsed bySAIOH Council and Exco.

SAIOH COUNCIL MEETING ANDASSESSMENT DATES

For Council meeting and assessmentsdates for 2016, please visit our websitehttp://www.saioh.co.za.

e-mail: [email protected]

www.saioh.co.za Tel: +27 71 672 4916 Email: [email protected]

President’s report

Jaco (N.W.) PieterseSAIOH President 2016


•

Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygienewww.saioh.co.za Tel: +27 71 672 4916 Email: [email protected]

The Western Cape was tasked in 2014by the SAIOH Council, to co-ordinateand host the 2015 SAIOH conference.Now with Cape Townians, we shouldhave been tasked with this project in2010. Yes Cape Townians have to mullover things, have plenty of meetings /dinners and discussions to ensure weare all on the same page. Socializing is amajor part of any Cape Townian’smeetings. Most of the team taskedwith this project, work in my office. Iwas able to hear each step as it cametogether. At times, I wondered withconcern, if a conference would ever beheld and if it even would be based onOcc Hygiene? However with our shortnotice, our Cape Town team pulled theconference together remarkably well.

The conference halls were far fullerthan what I anticipated. The speakerswere well selected and many of thedelegates would have liked to attend allthe sessions. Two topics really had animpact. The first was from Prof. CasBardenhorst’s called the “softer side”.We, as Occ Hygienists can carry outour work with perfection, however, weare not taught how to actually addresspeople from labourers through tomanagement. Often our people skillsneed improving. Cas addressed thismatter with great diplomacy, thatmade us think on how to improve ourpeople skills with our clients. (I did seethat people skills were very wellpracticed at the gala event andsocializing went very well indeed?).However, I am still a little concernedabout the fire dancer’s health afterdrinking litres of metholated spirits topresent a good fire show for us!

The second topic that had a greatimpact was on Ionizing radiationpresented by Ryno Botha. This often is

a much neglected discipline of whichmay possibly become more and moreimportant in the future. It made for avery interesting discussion.

Other topics covered during theconference included amongst others:

• European Trends in OccupationalHygiene: A Belgian Perspective bySteven Verpaele

• SAIOH and IOHA: Into the Future byPeter-John Jacobs

• The Value of Legislation in ensuringOccupational Health by Prof De WetSchutte

• OHTA Modules by Terry Mcdonald

• Occupational Hygiene in South Africa:Quo Vadis by Deon Jansen vanVuuren

• Occupational Health and HygieneLegislative Framework by MillyRuiters

Many thanks to the all the exhibitorswho participated and contributed. Theexhibition hall looked fantastic! Lastlymany thanks to the organising team.This includedKate Smart,Stacey Harrison,Hennie Van DerWesthuizen, CaraKapp, DahneJanse Vanrensburg,ChristiaSteynberg andRinus Kriel.

Well done to the Cape Town team!

Highlights of the annual SAIOH conference

by C Keet - 2016 SAIOHBranch Chair Western Cape


•

The dawning of a new era in Construction Health and Safety in South AfricaPart Two

THE “CLIENT” HOLDS THE KEY TOUNLOCKING HEALTH AND SAFETY ONA CONSTRUCTION PROJECT:

The role of the “Client” has been givena higher profile over the past thirteenyears, to ensure that a constructionproject has sufficient health and safetyleadership. To this end, the “Client” isexpected to be responsible for ensuringthat various health and safety actionsare taken before, during and after theconstruction stage of the project.

The definition of “Client” in thesecondary legislation known as theConstruction Regulations, 2014 underthe statute known as the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act (No. 85 of1993) is as follows:

Means, “Any person for whom constructionwork is performed”

In both named regulations above itmust be known that the “Client” hasan absolute duty to perform all explicitand implied statute duties.

• The “Client” holds the keyThere is no question in that the

“Client” holds the key to the successfulefforts by the South Africanconstruction industry in reducing theharm that is caused to people. This isbecause, at the simplest level, withoutthe “Client” there would be noconstruction activity.

Although there is an explicit legalrequirement for the “Client” to monitorthe health and safety performance oftheir various service providers, it hasbeen proven the world-over that a“Client” needs to champion theconstruction health and safety efforts ontheir projects in order to ensure asustainable construction development.It is ultimately the degree of importancethat a “Client” places on constructionhealth and safety that determines thehealth and safety cultural tone set bythe project team and therefore theattention paid to construction healthand safety in their work.

Since the promulgation of theConstruction Regulations, 2014 themajority of “Clients” may haveexpressed their desired constructionhealth and safety standards in someform or another but their actions havenot matched their words and if they donot “walk the talk”, all the othermembers of the project team willfollow their lead and not their words.If the “Client” does not provideadequate construction health and safetyinformation to the project team in theearly stages of a construction projectthis will have a negative effect on theconstruction works in the later stages.This might also serve to push aside theprofessional project team’s concernsregarding health and safety.

• “Client” – the head of theprocurement chainThe “Client” who procures theprofessional services of the variousconsultants that make up theprofessional project team and who

decides on the budget and selects thecontractor(s), is in a unique position toinfluence the way in which constructionprojects are procured. The “Clients’”procurement leadership also establishesthe correct health and safety culture forthe professional project team includingthe contractor(s).

The various decisions that the “Client”makes can affect everyone in the supplychain and can assist in delivering a farhealthier and safer construction projectthat is on time and within budget.

• The appointment of a competentClient Health & Safety Agent (CHSA)

The Client should appoint the CHSAas early as possible with the aim ofintegrating health & safety into theconstruction process from the outset.Construction projects that require aconstruction permit from theDepartment of Labour need aregistered CHSA to make thesubmission anyway.

The success of health and safety on aconstruction project, apart fromcompetent and well-resourcedcontractors and competent designers,will without a doubt depend on theintegration of a competent CHSAwithin all stages of the constructionprocess.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, although the “Client”must be able to rely on theconstruction industry to work withprocedures and processes that achieveshealthier and safer outcomes. Healthand safety must be catapulted to thetop of the “Client’s” constructionproject agenda, as it is always better tocommit to health and safety and to setthe standard to ensure and maintainthe quality of work-life of all affected byconstruction projects.

Association of Construction Health and Safety Management

Anton is a Business Partner: Health andSafety Executive (Pty) Ltd and advisor toCynergy Solutions. He is Director of anInternational Group of Constructioncompanies specialising in product and

service delivery to the built environment.Anton is a professionally registered

Construction Health and Safety Agent.He is Chairman and Managing

Director of the Association of Construction Health and Safety

Management (SA),a Competent Registered Design Risk

Management Consultant and RegisteredCDM Coordinator of the Associationof Project Safety (UK). He is registered

with several other occupational health andsafety organisations both in the UK

and South Africa.

Email: [email protected] / www.achasm.co.za


UVEX Safety South Africa (Pty.) Ltd. uvex safety (Durban)Phone: +27 (31) 569 6780 E-Mail: [email protected] uvex safety (Pretoria) Phone: +27 (12) 345 6656 E-Mail: [email protected]

•

In line with its philosophy of “protecting people”, the family-owned company based in Fürth has been synonymous withthe best-possible protection for sports, leisure and industrialworkplaces for 90 years. Having grown from its smallworkshop beginnings into a global company, uvex is todayone of Germany’s major international brands.

90 YEARS OF UVEX!

When the champagne corks start popping at uvex’sheadquarters in Fürth to celebrate the company’sanniversary, not only will old friends from business andpolitics be raising their glasses, so too will professionalathletes including Felix Neureuther, Natalie Geisenbergerand Severin Freund. These top performing athletes havebeen placing their trust in the latest uvex technologies andproduct innovations as they participate in internationalcompetitions.

FROM POPPENREUTH TO THE WHOLE WORLD

uvex's success story started in a small workshop inPoppenreuth on the outskirts of Fürth in 1926. This is wherethe company founder Philipp M. Winter made his first pairof safety goggles, which were crafted by hand. Demand forhis products soon extended beyond labourers and craftsmen.Philipp M. Winter equipped different athletes with gogglesfor the first time at the 1936 Winter Olympics. In 1938,German mountaineers climbed Nanga Parbat in theHimalayas wearing glacier goggles made in Fürth.

The uves brand was born in 1956. After living in the USA,Rainer Winter, Philipp’s son, joined the company and coinedthe "uvex" name, based on the quality seal for lenses – ultraviolet excluded. Rainer Winter had recognised that asuccessful product needs a prominent brand and effectivebrand management. He subsequently drove forward theinternationalisation and diversification of the company.

The sporting success of Alpine skiers wearing uvex gogglesin the 1970s and 1980s raised brand awareness and helpeduvex establish its international reputation. The family-ownedcompany has expanded and now sells its products all aroundthe world. Alongside sport, industrial health and safety hasremained a key pillar of the company’s success, developingfrom a safety eyewear specialist to a brand systems providerof personal protective equipment (PPE) from head to toe.

From 1999 onwards, Michael Winter gradually assumedmore responsibility for the uvex group, as the thirdgeneration of the Winter family to be Managing Partner. Atthe time, the company generated sales of EUR 180 millionwith 1,500 employees. Today, the multi-brand groupemploys more than 2,300 staff at 42 subsidiaries in 19countries worldwide, with total sales of EUR 387 million inthe 2014/2015 financial year. The course has been set forlong-term business succession with the involvement of thefourth generation.

LEADER OF INNOVATION FROM BAVARIA

The uvex group’s company history has been shaped by itsown innovative developments. Starting with the first safetyand ski goggles in the 1930s and the first anti-fog skigoggles in 1964 (uvex champion) to the development of thelightest industrial safety spectacles in the world in 2006(uvex super g weighing just 18.7g), uvex has proven itsimpressive innovative strength time and again. Currentsolutions such as the revolutionary variotronic® technologyfor ski and cycling eyewear or the new i-gonomics productsystem, which combines traditional safety features withergonomics, underline uvex’s claim to be a leader ofinnovation in the sports and industrial health and safetymarkets. Despite the international orientation, the uvexgroup has remained true to its location in Germany. Inaddition to the headquarters in Fürth, 90 years on, themajority of uvex production plants are still in Germany orelsewhere in Europe.

90 years of the uvex groupFürth-based family company is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2016

MEMBER OF

www.sapema.org


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One of the key issues facing companieswith regard to adequate gasmonitoring is instilling a culture ofcompliance. This is according toAdriaan van der Walt, a gas detectiontechnical specialist from HSE Solutions.He says that many workers don’t know,do not believe or cannot be persuadedthat chemicals, fumes, dusts and fibrescan under many circumstances haveextremely harmful effects and causelife-threatening illnesses, such as cancer.They also do not realise that gases are athreat to health at concentrations aslow as 1 part per million.

Unexpected gas leaks can be a dangerto a workforce and can impact greatlyon the company if they go undetected.Gases such as methane, carbon dioxide,hydrogen sulphide, ammonia andchlorine pose health risks ranging frombreathing difficulties, nausea andvomiting to heart damage,asphyxiation and even loss of life.Leakage of flammable or explosivegases can also lead to large-scaledamage of infrastructure.

Any company employing staff has theobligation to conduct risk assessmentsto identify potential hazards and thesecan include potential gas, vapours orOxygen deficiency risks. If gas hazardsare identified, gas detection isapplicable as a risk reduction method.

Depending on the processes beingundertaken and the gases beingdetected, remote or off-site alarm

notification plus event datalogging/reporting may also be requiredfor health and safety managementrecords. Another factor impacting onthe need for enhanced reportingfunctions might be regulatorycompliance or a condition of insurance.

Another consideration relates toadditional product functionality.Aspects like wiring configuration areimportant, especially when retro-fittinginto an existing application. If theapparatus is being integrated into aseparate safety system, certaincommunication protocols may also berequired. Consideration will also needto be given regarding the requirementfor local displays on transmitter unitsand local configuration of the unit andgas displays may also be a usefuladdition.

HSE Solutions supplies a full andcomprehensive range of productsmanufactured by Honeywell, fromlow-cost, compliance equipment suitedto a wide range of industrial settings tohigh-end, high-functionality devices.

“We take the health and safety of theSouth African workforce very seriously.Each one of our A-OSH EXPOexhibitors provides a risk mitigationsolution to industry. From the reliableand accurate detection of potentiallyhazardous gases to personal protectiveequipment for the industrial,construction and mining sectors, theexhibition seeks to provide a turnkey

health and safety solution to industryprofessionals. Each one of our A-OSHEXPO exhibitors provides a riskmitigation solution to industry sovisitors are guaranteed to find workablesolutions through the interactive natureof the exhibition,” says Joshua Low, A-OSH EXPO Event Director atSpecialised Exhibitions.

Now in its sixth year, A-OSH EXPOhas earned its reputation as Africa’slargest and most targeted occupationalhealth and safety exhibition. The event,which will take place from 24-26 May2016 at Gallagher Convention Centre,boasts a number of visitor attractionsthat make the show experience evenmore worthwhile. These include thefree-to-attend PASMA Working atHeight and NOSHEBO SeminarTheatres. As in the past few years,Saiosh will also be running theircomprehensive conference alongside A-OSH EXPO.

A-OSH EXPO 2016 enjoys theendorsement of a number of leadingindustry associations, including theInstitute for Working at Height(IWH), IOSM, Nebosh, FPASA,NOSHEBO, PASMA, the Safety FirstAssociation, SAIOH, Sapema andSaiosh.

Visitors will have access to the BusinessMatchmaking Service sponsored byIdeco which allows visitors to be pre-matched with relevant exhibitors. Thisinitiative allows meetings to bearranged in advance of the exhibition,thereby maximising the visitor’s time atA-OSH EXPO 2016.

A-OSH EXPO will again be co-locatedwith Securex, Africa’s leading source forsecurity and fire products and services.The exhibition covers all aspects ofsecurity and fire risk analysis andalleviation.

Contact: Specialised Exhibitions Joshua Low / Sven Riddle / Brandon GoingTel: +27 10 003 3054 / www.aosh.co.zaContact HSE SolutionsTel + 27 (0) 11 971 8040www.hsesolutions.co.za

Reducing health and safety risks- with adequate gas monitoring

MEMBER OFNews

www.sapema.org


•

When worker safety comes first,DuPont’s scientists and technicianshave created and rigorously tested thematerials that help protect againstheat, flame and fire, electric arc flash,cut hazards, chemicals, dry particles,lead, asbestos, mold and hazardousaerosols. And there is furtherinnovation to come.

Whether you’re in the oil and gas,automotive, chemical, agricultural,food processing, manufacturing, ormaintenance business, there’s anindustry-leading DuPont solutionsuited to the job you need to get done.

DUPONT THERMAL APPAREL

Nomex® for flame-resistant protection

Garments made of Nomex® fiber areinherently flame-resistant, lighter inweight for increased comfort, and arebreathable. Innovative Nomex®fabrics rapidly dissipate sweat throughthe fabric, helping the wearer feel dryand more comfortable. Nomex® is ahighly cost-effective solution in termsof cost per wear thanks to itsexceptional durability.

“People working in the toughestindustrial jobs around the world facethe risk of flash fire hazards duringevery shift. That’s why they choose FRclothing made with Nomex®- forproven protection and comfort”comments Loren Pearson, Sales andMarketing leader for ChemicalIndustrial and Thermal Apparel forSub-Saharan Africa.

Nomex® is a revolutionary, inherentheat- and flame-resistant fiber thatreacts in a crisis.

When exposed to extreme heat,Nomex® undergoes a special reaction,changing its properties to capture moreenergy in the fabric, giving the wearervaluable extra seconds of protectionfrom heat transfer. This heat and flameresistance is built into the Nomex®fiber—it can’t be washed out or wornaway.

A job safely donewith DuPont industrial protective clothing

MEMBER OF

Protera™ for Arc Flash protection

DuPont provides arc flash protectionsolutions by taking an holisticapproach, from assessing the safetyhazards to protecting the workers withoptimized solutions. The DuPont 4Pmethodology is based on assessing therisks of arc flash and predicting theseverity of the thermal effect,preventing the hazard at the source,protecting workers where there isresidual risk of injury with appropriatePPE and publishing results as well asproviding training.

“Garments made with DuPont™Protera™ innovative arc-rated fabricand Nomex® garment solutions areavailable through our licenced DuPontNomex® quality partners, whomanufacture quality garments madefrom DuPont thermal protective fabricsto meet minimum garmentconstruction and performancespecifications” says Pearson.

In-house fabric performance testfacilities

To test products made with DuPont™Nomex® Fiber and DuPont™Protera® fabric, we turn to a 6’1” manand engulf him in flames. He’sDuPont™ Thermo-Man®, and becauseof him we can help manufacturers offerbetter, and safer products.

Fires are unpredictable. So in order totest our fabric under the most realisticconditions, DuPont turns to Thermo-Man® for help. This life-sized,instrumented mannequin system is one

of the most advanced thermal burninjury evaluation devices in the world.Covered with 122 heat sensors anddressed in test garments, DuPont™Thermo-Man® helps ensure optimalproduct performance. Thermo-Man® isa UL Certified test mannequin - the firstof its kind developed in conjunctionwith the US Government to helpprotect the warfighter from burns.

The DuPont™ Arc-Man® is aremarkable test facility. It allowsDuPont to measure how muchprotection fabrics and garments offeragainst electrical arcs that can generatetemperatures of up to 20,000°C. Aspart of our ongoing commitment tosafety and leadership, the DuPont™Arc-Man® test helps manufacturers toassess and compare the protection thatvarious materials provide against thethermal effects of an electrical arc. Thisunique service provides vital data onseveral key parameters that helpmanufacturers to optimise their fabricsand garments to protect against theheat of an electric arc. With its realdemonstrations, DuPont™ Arc-Man®also helps raise awareness on thedevastating effects that an electric arccould have on workers if not properlyprotected. Arc-Man® tests areconducted by the DuPont EuropeanTechnical Centre in Switzerland.

Contact DuPont:Tel: +27 11 218 8600

THERMO-MMAN® and the performance of NOMEX® EMS Wear


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MB Workwear is one of South Africa’sleading protective clothingmanufacturers. For 60 years thecompany has been a prominent figurein the workwear industry and todaytheir Marburg-based factory producesapproximately 200 000 safetygarments per month.

An ISO 9001 listed organisation, SABSpermit holder and boastingaccreditations with the Canadian andEuropean Unions, MB Workwear isdedicated to safety and quality. Thesetwo pillars of their business philosophyguarantee that their workwear issuperior on all fronts.

Over the years MB Workwear hasbecome known for pushing theboundaries when developing andmanufacturing safety products. It is anattitude on which the company pridesitself. Combining high volumemanufacturing capabilities withexcellence and innovation allows MBWorkwear to produce specialisedworkwear that meets the constantlyevolving needs of the industries itserves.

It is this consistent innovation, bestpractices and cutting edge technologywhich ensures that they maintain theirrelevance in the industry. They haveproved this yet again by introducingstate-of-the-art software and machineryfrom Lectra Cutting Solutions to theirfactory.

These new additions will take efficiencyin the factory to a whole new level andwill enable MB Workwear to increasetheir production time and improve thequality of their garments. Essentially,this new solution will offer immensebenefit to the customer by ensuringrapid production and a superior level ofworkmanship.

It is this innovation and “obsession”with quality, safety and a client-centredapproach to manufacturing that drivesMB Workwear to continually developimproved workwear solutions, bothlocally and internationally; staying trueto their philosophy – safety obsessed,quality driven.

Safety through innovation

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www.sapema.org

Contact MB Workwear

on 039 682 2430

or email [email protected]

or [email protected]


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