contents ppe product news - sapema · while back in south africa, hundreds of houses and informal...

GAS SAFETY

The Safe Gas Equipment Scheme - A safetymeasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Egoli Gas - The natural alternative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Are you sure you are insured? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

PPE PRODUCT NEWS

Cover story:Know safety. No injury. Know Dromex . . . . . . . . . . .20

Safety just got more comfortable.uvex pheos cx2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

DuPont celebrates 50 years of DuPontTM Tyvek®.50 years of scientific innovation in the service ofprotection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Five reasons to choose PU over PVC . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

SAPEMA

Obituary. Cobus Kruger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

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CONTENTS

May/June 2017 - Volume 77 Number 3

FEATURE ARTICLESConducting effective oil and gas safety audits . . . . . . .4

Indoor environmental quality in high-rise buildings -its implication on health and safety of workers.Evaluation of Lagos State Governmentadministrative buildings in Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

The importance of a fire prevention plan . . . . . . . . .12

Flirting with danger. Dodging tankers . . . . . . . . . . .14

Fighting workplace fatigue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

How to validate a IWH Certificate to ensureyou are not contracting a provider in possessionof a forged certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

A-OSH stand winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

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

Pollution in agriculture? You must be joking . . . . . . .16

GIVE credits where credits are due - A scam? . . . . . .17

Obituary Robin W Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

ACHASMOutgoing chairman’s report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

News from SAIOH. Report from the SAIOHPresident and Council Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Participating associations / organisations / institutes with National Safety and the Safety First Association

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE

May/June 2017 National Safety www.safety1st.co.za 1

PPE FEATURE ARTICLES

Hierarchy of controls. why you need aPPE programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

PPE protection for winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Cover story: Dromex. See page 20

Tragedy struck London a few days ago when a massivefire engulfed a 24 storey residential building in northKensington. Lives were lost. Possessions destroyed.People were left homeless. Investigations will probablyfind that the fire could have been prevented.

While back in South Africa, hundreds of houses andinformal settlement shacks were destroyed in the Knysnawildfires resulting from severe storms. No amount ofpre-planning could have prevented the devastation.

Far too many companies are affected by fires every yearresulting in injury, lost customer support and buildingdamage. Even if no lives are lost, many fires will result inthe loss of jobs therefore leaving families destitute.

Every company must have a fire prevention plan (FPP)to help avoid these costly damages and prevent potentialfines which may be instituted afterwards. The article“Implementation of a fire prevention plan” in this issuediscusses this in more detail - examining the fire hazards,combustible materials, heat producing equipment thatcould cause sparks resulting in fires. Employees should allbe educated in the fire prevention plan of the companywhich must be reviewed at regular intervals.

Over and above the FPP, companies must train teammembers and implement a fire emergency evacuationplan. If everyone knows their responsibilities in the caseof a fire, the response will be easier and evacuation moreeffective. The plan must establish how and when torespond, identify the path of escape and formalise acentral place of meeting in the case of evacuation.

In the London fire, many of the occupants were told tostay in their apartments until help arrived - this adviceresulted in many of them losing their lives. In Knysna,most residents were successfully evacuated, althoughsome fatalities were tragically reported.

Attention must also be paid to the special needs ofemployees who may require assistance.

Emergency and exit lights must stay illuminated at alltimes - not only when there is an evacuation. Routinemaintenance needs to be undertaken so that burnt outbulbs can be replaced. It is too late to find out they arenot functioning once a fire breaks out.

Daily housekeeping is important to ensure that facilitiesare clear of fire hazards and that escape routes are notblocked. Companies often leave storage boxes, laddersetc in front of fire exits or aisles. These must be kept inproper storage areas.

Of course, fire extinguishers and automatic sprinkersystems must be in place and serviced regularly.

It is the company’s responsibility to make sure that itsfacility and employees will be prepared at all times in thecase of a fire emergency, and will be trained to reactproperly and safely.

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Copyright: 2017 Material appearing in this issue may not be reproduced without the permission ofthe editor or publishers in any form whatsoever.

The Safety First Association is a non-profit making, privately supported, public serviceorganisation which aims to prevent accidents by promoting an awareness of accident situations asthey exist in day-to-day living amongst members of the community. The Publishers and Editorsare not liable for any damages or loss incurred as a result of any statement contained in thismagazine. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy in this publication, neither the Publishersnor Editors accept any responsibility for errors or omissions in the content and reserve the right toedit all contributions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of thePublishers or Editors.

Editor: Debbie MyerProduction Editor: Lindsay MyerChairman: George BrowseVice Chairman: Leighton BennettMarketing & Subscriptions: Maureen SchwegmannAdmin Manager: Bruce SchwegmannCommittee members: Leighton Bennett

Stewart 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-mmail: [email protected]

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

(SAPEMA)• Association of Construction Health and Safety Management

(ACHASM)

National Safety is supported by:• Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH)• South African Qualification and Certification Committee for

Gas (SAQCC GAS)

National Safety incorporates:• Occupational Safety and Health• Personal Protective Equipment• Corporate Risk Management• Occupational Hygiene• Gas Safety

Editor’s Comment

2 www.safety1st.co.za National Safety May/June 2017

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Conducting effective oil and gassafety audits

When I conduct an effective internalhealth and safety audit, one of myregular starting points is to share myopinions with attendees.

GET ALL STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED

The first thing I always do is to get allstakeholders involved. The safety teammust be represented, often by anauditor in training. I also think it isimportant for at least one employeefrom each of the areas to be involved inthe audit. In addition, I never forgetthat the area supervisor is the keyplayer who can make a big difference tothe successful outcome of the audit.

TEAM MEMBERS MUST BE TRAINED

The second requirement is to makesure all members of the safety teamhave attended the Safety ProjectsInternational Inc. Certified AccreditedAuditors course, and are thereforecompetent to conduct safety audits.There are several equally effectivecourses in South Africa. During thecourse, they will also have been trainedto interact with the other stakeholders

in a professional manner. It is extremelyimportant that the safety teamrepresentative doesn’t come off as asafety policeman or a know-it-all.

THE INTENT IS TO UNCOVERPOTENTIAL DANGERS

Next I recommend a simple format forhealth and safety audits. It is desirablethat stakeholders outside of the healthand safety department have anunderstanding of the format and theintent of the audit before starting. Thisincludes letting them know the intentof the audit is not to “bust” people andget them in trouble. We want a pro-active approach, contributing to themature safety systems and a progressivecompany safety culture. People maystill be worried about the safety policeand/or getting “busted”, so it isimportant to make the point up frontthat health and safety audits are aproactive means to uncover potentialhealth and safety issues, and not ameans to write ‘em up, suspend ‘em,and/or fire ‘em.

Next, the team should never callout an employee on the spot,

unless of course they are actually inimminent danger.Even then, we must

use respect in stopping themfrom the unsafe action. We,the auditors as a group, not

the safety person, need todocument any unsafe condition orbehaviour and let the supervisoraddress the issue. This serves a dualpurpose. It allows the supervisor tomaintain his or her authority, without

him coming across like a safety police.

The line supervisor should also beresponsible for mitigating safetydeficiencies, as well as unsafe conditionsor behaviours, in their area. The auditteam should take immediate action,with the presence of the supervisor, ifthe deficiency poses a clear danger toworkers in the area.

The health and safety departmentshould stay out of the “fixing” process.If the safety department allows itself tobecome the responsible party for takingcare of safety deficiencies, the supervisorwill assume that the safety team isresponsible for mitigating all auditfindings as well as all other safetydeficiencies in the area.

This of course would give no incentivefor the supervisor to keep the risks outof their area. Don’t get me wrong;supervisors have a ton of responsibilityand will naturally choose to passivelydelegate tasks to anyone who choosesto take on tasks. So the safetypractitioner involved with the auditshould maintain a consulting role.

LISTEN TO THE WORKERS

During the audit, I try to focus onwhat the workers are saying. If youtake on the responsibility to tackleeverything you see, you are losing theperspective of the people who do thework every day. So if you see some littlething, take a quick note and revisit itwith the supervisor once the audit iscomplete. So for now, let the employeesin the area know your focus is on themand what they perceive as safety issues.

Managing Consultant, Safety ProjectsInternational, Canada specialises inauditing and evaluating both client

and contractor Safety Programmes andin developing with them pro-activepreventative systems procedures andprogrammes to control all incidents.

by Dr Bill Pomfret


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This of course does not mean that youshouldn’t ask questions of theemployees. You certainly are obliged toask questions, but make sure they arerelevant to the job the employee isdoing. During audits, I have hademployees bring up safety issues that Iwould have missed. Remember, theyknow best what is going on. Also, it isimportant to verify records to ensurethings are recorded properly.

I have had employees tell me thatsomething is perfectly safe, when Iknow better. In this situation, the auditteam should ask why the employeefeels safe performing a task that on thesurface does not look safe. There maybe a great answer, but more often thannot, the answer is something along thelines of, “I’ve been doing this job thisway forever and have never gottenhurt.” This is a great way for thesupervisor to see the employee’sperception first-hand. It’s also a goodtime to explain to the supervisor -assuming they don’t already know -

why it is not safe. This allows thesupervisor the opportunity to takecontrol, have a conversation with theemployee on why the action is not safe,and share the safe way to perform thetask. Again, this gives the supervisorthe authority and responsibility toensure the dangerous behaviourchanges.

EVALUATION/ANALYSIS OF THE AUDIT

Once the audit is complete, the safetyteam, and the supervisor need toperform an evaluation / analysis of theaudit. It is surprising to me how manysafety audits are just signed off, thrownin the filing cabinet, and never seenagain. It’s like fulfilling a requirementwithout really accomplishing the pointof the requirement. A great time toreview and analyse health and safetyaudits is during safety team meetings.

This way we have more minds availableat the evaluation / analysis to askquestions of the team who actuallyperformed the audit.

I have had some great questions askedduring this type of review process,which has prompted me to go back tothe source (in this case, the supervisoror the employee) to get clarification.

COMPARE THE FINDINGS WITH THESOPS

The process is still not complete. Thenext step is to compare the safety audit

findings with the standard operatingprocedures, or SOPs, of the auditedarea to look for gaps in the SOPs thatlead to any observed health or safetyissues. If the SOP addresses theobserved issues, re-training andsupervisor reinforcement may be inorder.

If there is no mention of observedsafety issues in the SOPs, and it wouldbe relevant to add them, well …there’s no time like the present. Weneed to ensure the specific SOP orSOPs are updated and the employeesare trained on the updates. It is almostforty years since I went out withNOSA’s best auditors, and having toconvince them that the one day auditswith the scores being added on theway home were not effective.Eventually, we collectively agreed tomake all audits a duration of five days.Many employers did not like thechange and it took a Nosa boardmeeting to change the policy.

INVOLVE LINE MANAGEMENT

Another policy change was to involveline management more. While we allhated to throw more responsibility onthe supervisor’s plate, this wassomething they all needed to bedirectly involved with.

One of my favourite sayings thatcontinually pushes me to strive forsupervisor involvement is: “If it’simportant to my boss, it’s important tome.”

MY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT SOUTHAFRICA

During my experiences with SouthAfrica I have learned that it is acountry where risks are controlledbecause everyone believes thatsuffering and accidental losses aremorally, socially and economicallyunacceptable. This is commendableand must continue.


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Every organisation’s objective is toprevent potential injuries and ill-healthof employees, contractors, visitors andother relevant stakeholders, whichmight arise due to exposure in anunsafe working environment. The sameapplies to the relevant stakeholderswho must adhere to the applicablehealth and safety procedures andprogrammes being implemented.

Through a combined effort,management and employees have aduty to identify hazards and associatedrisks intheir workplace. Subsequently,suitable control measures such asPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE)are recommended and provided. Theoverall strategy is aimed at developing,implementing and maintaining a PPEprogramme.

What constitutes a PPE programmeand why have one? This articlesummarises the elements that a goodPPE programme should consider.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND PPEASSESSMENT

An effective PPE programme isdeveloped, implemented andmaintained initially by taking intoaccount the hazards as well as the risksassociated with the identified hazards inthe workplace.

The completed risk assessment shouldinevitably recommend the appropriatecontrol measures, for example the useof PPE.

Depending on the operations oractivity being performed, therecommended PPE may be eitherrespirators, protective clothing,goggles, ear plugs or hard hats.

It is advisable, when conducting thePPE assessment to involve thepersonnel that have an understandingof the operation(s) and how they should

work safely and use the PPE.

For organisations that have alreadyimplemented the OHSAS 18001:2007standard or are in the process of doingso, they will be familiar with thefollowing clause: “4.3.1 Hazardidentification, risk assessment anddetermining controls”.

The clause specifies that “Theorganization shall establish, implementand maintain a procedure(s) for theongoing hazard identification, riskassessment, and determination ofnecessary controls”.

When determining controls, orconsidering changes to existingcontrols, consideration shall be given toreducing the risks according to thefollowing hierarchy:

a) elimination;

b) substitution;

c) engineering controls;

d) signage / warnings and / oradministrative controls;

e) personal protective equipment.

This is illustrated in Figure 1 Hierarchyof Controls.

It is evident that PPE is alwaysconsidered as the last alternative, whichis the emphasis of this article. It isimportant to understand that PPE isintended to complement other controlmeasures.

DECIDE AND PROVIDE THEAPPROPRIATE PPE

The outcome of the PPE assessmentprovides an input into the type of thePPE to be used.

However, caution should be taken as towhat is perceived as a control - thereare cases when PPE might pose asignificant risk to the personnelwearing it.

When deciding on the type of PPE, thefollowing key questions are ofsignificant help but not limited to;

• Does the selected PPE comply withthe applicable legal and otherrequirements?

• Does the PPE take into account thepersonnel’s health?

• Will PPE be adequate or sufficientto mitigate the risks instead ofincreasing the risk exposure?

• Will the PPE fit the person wearingit to prevent further risk exposure?

• Is the PPE suitable for the identifiedor potential emerging risks?

When the above questions or concernshave been addressed, the employees orany other personnel are provided withappropriate PPE.

It must be remembered that PPE isused to complement, and not replaceother appropriate and effective controlmeasures used to mitigate the risks.

This is a similar call from theOccupational Health and Safety Act of1993, Section 8 “General duties ofemployers to their employees”. Insubsection (b) among other duties, theemployer must be “taking such steps asmay be reasonably practicable toeliminate or mitigate any hazard orpotential hazard to the safety or healthof employees, before resorting topersonal protective equipment.”

TRAIN, TRAIN AND RE-TRAIN

All too often, PPE is issued topersonnel working in a hazardousenvironment without appropriatetraining. In this case, the person usingthe PPE will probably still be exposedto the risk.

A combination of practical andtheoretical PPE training needs tospecify;

• The risks identified and the type ofPPE recommended to mitigate therisks.

• The rationale to use the PPEprovided, its potential limitationsespecially if not used correctly, butalso, the importance of taking intoaccount other controls measures.

• When the PPE should be used andthe consequences of not using it.

• Most importantly, how the PPEneeds to be used and maintained.

Hierarchy of controlswhy you need a PPE programme

Hope Mugagga KiweketeManaging Consultant at the Centre for

Enterprise Sustainability (Pty) Ltd


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Retraining is important especiallywhere human behaviour issues arecommon that might hinder effectiveimplementation of the PPEprogramme.

Retraining is also recommended whenthere are changes in your workplace,for example new machinery beinginstalled.

Do not forget to maintain trainingrecords. Records provide evidenceespecially when incidents occur relatedto the unsafe use of PPE or evenadditional exposure from the hazardsthat escaped the controls!

MONITOR THE USE AND REMOVEUNSAFE PPE

A PPE programme needs to bemonitored to determine itseffectiveness. A routine question mightbe “Is the PPE adequately mitigatingthe risks?”

Monitoring is not a once-off exercise. Itshould form part of task observations,routine inspections and auditingwithout imposing a policing attitude.

Consultation and participation ofpersonnel is encouraged in the form ofobtaining their views and opinions, for

example whether the PPE is in safeworking condition.

PPE issued is not always permanent,sometimes it does have to be replaced.Employees must pay attention to thecondition of the PPE being used. If it isworn out or damaged, it must bereplaced. Once damanged, there is noassurance it will provide the necessaryprotection against the hazards.

This points us to ensuring that a PPEmaintenance and replacement scheduleis adhered to.

IN PURSUIT FOR SAFETY

We recognise that PPE is usuallyreferred to as the last resort in theprotection of personnel in the workenvironment. What makes a successfulPPE programme will differ from oneorganisation to another. However thefundamental elements discussed give usassurance that when the programme iseffectively implemented andmaintained, exposure to hazards will beconsiderably reduced.

One safety slogan explains it clearly“Remember it is PPE not DOA (Deathon Arrival).” Source: ISQEM

Lastly, management and supervisors

need to be role models, to lead byexample and ensure strict adherence totheir organisation's PPE programmes.

REFERENCES

Hierarchy of controls available athttps://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy/accessed 26 May 2017

Supervisors Safety Guide, Controllinghealth and safety hazards available athttps://www.saif.com/_files/SafetyHealthGuides/SSG_Controlling_Hazards.pdf accessed 26 May 2017

Republic of South Africa, OccupationalHealth and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No.85 of 1993)

The views expressed in this article arethe views of the author. They are notintended to substitute legal orprofessional advice.

Hope Mugagga Kiwekete is aManaging Consultant at the Centre forEnterprise Sustainability (Pty) Ltd.Prior to his current role, he was aPrincipal Consultant Risk Managementat Transnet Freight Rail SOC Ltd, aManagement Systems Specialist andSenior EHS Auditor at the SouthAfrican Bureau of Standards (SABS).

Figure 1: Illustration of Hierarchy of Controls Source:NIOSH available at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy/


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Shamusideen A. Kadiri, PrincipalConsultant, Health, Safety andEnvironment, Zub Chord Tech Ventures,Lagos Nigeria

Dakwak L. Sells (Mrs.) Deputy Director,Health, Safety and Environment, IndustrialTraining Fund, Jos, Nigeria

The problems associated with indoorenvironment quality (IEQ) and thepossible subsequent effects on workers,as experienced by the employees ofLagos state government in multi storeyoffice buildings in Lagos, Nigeria, wereinvestigated and are discussed in thisarticle. To find a possible associationbetween these poor physicalenvironmental indoor conditions andthe potential adverse affects on thehealth and motivation of workers, across sectional survey was conducted toassess the physical, biological andchemical quality of indoorenvironmental quality (IEQ). The datawas collected between February andApril 2012. A total of 1000questionnaires were randomlydistributed among employees workingin the 12 multi-storey buildings out ofa total of 16. Each building consists of6 floors each, with an average of 60offices in each block. Occupants in eachoffice vary between one and maximumof 6. Eight hundred and ninety seven(897) responded to the questionnaires.The questions addressed how poor airquality, insufficient awareness on effectsof poor IEQ i.e. training on health andsafety as regards to IEQ, lack of accessto daylight, unpleasant acousticconditions, and control over lightingand thermal comfort leads todissatisfaction with the IEQ of thebuildings. Observations from the dataled to the view that the satisfactory

level of IEQ awareness is low amongthe occupants. Organisational structureneeds to be formed that will enlightenoccupants about factors contributing topoor indoor air quality (IAQ).

INTRODUCTION

In this study, IEQ refers to airpollutants, ergonomics, lighting,workplace design and temperaturewithin an office. IEQ refers to thequality of a building's environment inrelation to the health and wellbeing ofthose who occupy space within it.

IEQ is determined by many factors,including lighting, air quality, anddamp conditions (Storey and Bartlett,2010). Workers are often concernedthat they have symptoms or healthconditions from exposure tocontaminants in the buildings wherethey work. One reason for this concernis that their symptoms often get betterwhen they are not in the building. Anoffice building should satisfy occupants'needs and promote efficiency of indoorenvironmental quality (Bako-Biro,2004).

The success or failure of a buildingdepends on the implementation andsustainability of the IEQ. As anillustration, indoor air quality (IAQ) inthis study refers to the physical,chemical and biological characteristicsof the air in the indoor workingenvironment. IAQ deals with how wellthe indoor air satisfies the occupants ofthe building.

The building should be designed withthe aim of producing a high-qualityinterior environment, so that the healthand safety of the occupants oremployees are not compromised (Choand Lee, 2010). Poor IAQ is beingblamed for a host of problems rangingfrom low worker productivity toincreased cancer risk. Our buildinginteriors, once thought of as providingsafe havens from the pernicious effectsof outdoor air pollution and harshclimates, may actually be morepolluted than the surrounding ambientenvironment (Spengler and Chen,2000). In this paper we describe health

risks associated with indoorenvironments, illuminate barriers toovercoming these risks, and providepolicy recommendations to achievehealthier indoor environments.

THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The efficiency of a building's IEQcontributes to workers' productivity,and then, how a building is viewed byits occupants. This study wasconducted to:

• Determine the level of satisfaction ofthe employees in terms of IEQ;

• Proffer solutions to identifiedproblems so that the buildingperformance can be improved, andsimilar future buildings can beimproved upon in terms of IEQ.

The overall aim of the study is toemphasise that working environmentsshould be conducive for workers andother users.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Indoor air quality

Health and well-being at work are twoof the main preconditions for goodproductivity and work performance. Incontrast, poor indoor environment as aresult of indoor air problems may leadnot only to health problems in workersbut also to a loss of productivity and tofinancial loss (Fisk, 2000). On the otherhand, good indoor air quality has abeneficial effect on the health ofemployees, the social atmosphere atwork, and productivity in offices(Lahtinen, et al,. 2002). Therefore,there is a great interest in theidentification and management ofindoor air problems at work, combinedwith a need for good practices on howto solve and prevent such problems.

Poor indoor air may result from thepresence of chemical substances,including particles, and biologicalagents, as well as contributing physicalfactors.

Air pollutants, ergonomics, lightingand temperature may cause adeterioration of health of the occupants

Indoor environmental quality in high-rise buildings - its implication on health and safety of workersEvaluation of Lagos State Government administrative buildings in Nigeria


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of the building (Kamaruzzaman et. al.,2010). Sub-standard IAQ, noise,vibration, poor seating and incorrectlighting may lead to occupants'dissatisfaction, which may cost theemployer more because absenteeismwill increase. This dissatisfaction in thebuildings contributes to stress, whichmay develop due to poor IEQ in thebuildings. Therefore, employers shouldensure that the workplace is a stress-free environment (Davies, 2010).Figure 1 shows primary sources ofindoor air pollution in an officebuilding.

IAQ has been identified by the EPA asone of the top five most urgentenvironmental risks to public health(EPA, 2002).

On average, office workers spendapproximately 40 hours a week inoffice buildings. These workers alsostudy, eat, drink, and, in certain worksettings, sleep in enclosed environmentswhere make-up air (i.e., fresh air addedto recirculated air) may becompromised (Myatt, et. al., 2002). Forthis reason, some experts believe thatmore people may suffer from the effectsof indoor air pollution than fromoutdoor air pollution.

Importance of good ventilation

Inadequate ventilation increases indoorpollutants by not allowing enoughoutdoor air to dilute emissions from

indoor sources. The IAQ problem mayalso originate from office machines andchemical cleaning materials that maybe harmful to human health(Burroughs and Hansen, 2011). Anexample of such an air pollutant iscarbon monoxide, which is an odourlessand colourless gas, and causes ablockage in the transportation ofoxygen to the human body. Theseblockages often cause dizziness, nauseaand fatigue to the occupants of theoffice (Bluyssen, et. al., 2011).

Improved air quality evaluation inbuildings is necessary to avoid theformation of air pollutants that areharmful to human body.

Problems associated with poor lighting

Poor lighting in buildings could lead topoor vision among occupants of abuilding. Lighting should be includedat the initial design stage to ensure thatthe required level of lighting is adheredto (De Carli and De Giuli, 2009).Inadequate lighting in the buildingmay reduce productivity amongoccupants. Different tasks requirecertain levels of lighting. Office light issupposed to support both the paper-based work and computer-based work,which makes it difficult for theoccupants to adjust the lights to meetboth requirements.

Light emitted by the computer alsocontributes some challenges to the

occupants' health if the screen light isnot set correctly (AL-Anzi, 2009).Incorrect lighting leads to headaches,stress, dizziness and loss of productivity.Quality of lighting in the officebuilding is linked to productivity,because without high-quality lights inthe building the productivity drops(Samani, 2011). Constant evaluation ofthe building's performance is necessaryto yield an improved IEQ, which mayboost the quality of life of theoccupants (Cho and Lee, 2010). Thisindoor air problem may lead to a totaldysfunction in an organisation if it isnot prioritised at the earliest stage,since it would reduce the productivityof the organisation (Antikainen et, al.,2008). Proper precautions should betaken regarding the efficiency of theIEQ in order to safeguard the lives ofthe occupants in the office againstdiseases that may be caused by poorlighting.

Thermal comfort

Thermal comfort is the comfort ofoccupants when they feel satisfied withthe level of heat or cold. The lack ofevaluation of buildings regarding thethermal comfort may lead to occupantsbeing uncomfortable if the building istoo hot or too cold. If the evaluation ofthe building is done at certain intervals,occupants are enabled to choose thetype of clothing that is suitable to thetemperature of the building(Hassanain, 2008). AL-Anzi (2009)identifies some effects of high and lowtemperatures on the occupants in theoffice. A high temperature causesoccupants to become tired, whereas lowtemperatures may affect occupantswith flu, especially occupants withweak or compromised antibodies.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study where it isdetermined whether an occupant is in aplace where it suits or fits him or her sothat work can be performed withoutany disturbances. Ergonomics aims toimprove the occupant's comfort, safetyand work efficiency (Mustafa et. al.,2009). Improved IEQ is not completewithout addressing ergonomics inbuildings or any office environment.Poor ergonomics may cause work-related diseases called musculoskeletaldisorders (MSD). Workspace designsshould be done in a manner thatsatisfies the occupant's work needs. The

Figure1. Primary Sources of Indoor Air Pollution in an Office BuildingSource: Australia State of the Environment Report 2001 by Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia


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designs must comply with the higheststandards of IEQ, which will stimulatethe occupant's morale and satisfaction.IEQ for workspace must be takenseriously when employers chooseworkspace, as these may have a seriousimpact on the occupants' health(Vischer, 2008).

Satisfactory workspaces

It is important that the employercreates a workspace that is suitable foroccupants so that they will feel valuedand inspired by their employer, and beproud of the work they do.

Workspace psychology may play animportant part, whereby motivationand commitment could influenceoccupants to be more productive.Working in an unhygienic workplacewill reduce the morale and increase jobdissatisfaction among the occupants(Davies, 2010).

In a suitable workspace, job satisfactionamong occupants improves, whichwould lead to a rise in productivity.Failure to achieve effective ergonomicsin the workplace results in lowproductivity and poor quality of work.

Sound ergonomics will also ensure thatoccupants perform work faster (AL-Anzi, 2009).

Noise disturbances

Office noise disturbances preventoccupants from concentrating on theirwork. Many researchers haveacknowledged that noise may lead tostress, headaches and other disorders(AL-Anzi, 2009). Designers are

therefore required to design projectsthat include acoustic materials to beused for the projects.

Design of work spaces

Designers should be able to analyse theway that occupants will be placed inthe office space. Office wall-panelheight must be considered to ensurethat at least minimum privacy ismaintained, even though it is an open-space office. An employer should be ina position to select an acoustic officedesign that will control noisemanagement and reduction within theworkstation. Strategic thinking isrequired if the employer wants toreduce the level of noise by increasingthe room's capacity for absorption,increasing screen height and increasingthe masking of the sound level(Hongisto, 2008).

HEALTH RISK OF POOR INDOORENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Indoor environments are the sites of avariety of biological, chemical, andother environmental hazards. Biologicalhazards include infectious agents suchas bacteria and viruses, molds,endotoxins, and antigens from housedust mites, rodents, cockroaches,pollen, and animal dander. Theallergenic constituents of indoor air arepredominantly biologic in origin(Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2000).

Symptoms related to poor IEQ varydepending on the type of contaminant.They can easily be mistaken forsymptoms of other illnesses such asallergies, stress, colds, and influenza.

The usual clue is that people feel illwhile inside the building, and thesymptoms go away shortly afterleaving the building, or when awayfrom the building for a period of time(such as on weekends or a vacation).Failure of building owners andoperators to respond quickly andeffectively to IEQ problems can lead tonumerous adverse health consequences.

Health effects from indoor airpollutants may be experienced soonafter exposure or, possibly years later(EPA, 2010). Symptoms may includeirritation of the eyes, nose, and throat;headaches; dizziness; rashes; andmuscle pain and fatigue (Bernstein, et.al., 2008).

Health problems linked to poor IAQ

Diseases linked to poor IAQ includeasthma and hypersensitivitypneumonitis European ConcertedAction (1991). The specific pollutant,the concentration of exposure, and thefrequency and duration of exposure areall important factors in the type andseverity of health effects resulting frompoor IAQ.

Age and preexisting medical conditionssuch as asthma and allergies may alsoinfluence the severity of the effects.Long term effects due to indoor airpollutants may include respiratorydiseases, heart disease, and cancer, all ofwhich can be severely debilitating orfatal (Bernstein, et. al., 2008).

Figure 2 illustrates the complexity ofthe relationship between the indoorstructure, the hazards generated as aconsequence, and the ultimate healtheffects in the occupants. Characteristicsof the building structure, such as itscomposition, contents, and buildingsystems, as well as attributes of thepopulation and activities within thebuilding, all contribute to the health ofthe indoor environment which canultimately lead to a variety of adversehealth effects as shown in Figure 2.

METHODOLOGIES

Method

The overall purpose of the study was todetermine the level of satisfaction ofbuilding occupants' in terms of IndoorEnvironmental Quality (IEQ) and howit affects their health and safety vis-a-vis their productivity at work. Thequestionnaire was in five sections (A-E).

Figure 2. Pathway from built environment to health effects (adapted from Mitchell CS, Hodgson MJ,unpublished data)


•

The design of the questionnaireenvisages a maximum of 15 minutesfor its completion.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Observations from the data led to theview that the satisfactory level of IEQawareness is low among the employees.It was found that most of theseemployees faces a multitude of hazardsin their offices which include biologicaland chemical contaminants, as well aspoor ergonomics, lighting, and physicaldesign.

These hazards cause and exacerbate avariety of adverse health effects,ranging from asthma to sick buildingsyndrome to cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Organisational structure needs to beformed that will enlighten occupantsabout the factors that contribute topoor indoor air quality (IAQ).

Employees must be well informed ofsuch risks in order to make usefulhealth decisions; they must alsounderstand both the healthconsequences of poor indoorenvironmental quality, and some simpleand feasible interventions to improveIEQ.

Indeed, policy changes at multiplelevels are needed to achieve healthyworkplace indoor environments.

Education and informationdissemination on the public health risksassociated with indoor environmentsare essential.

Policy-makers must be well informed ofsuch risks in order to make usefulpublic health decisions. Similarly,individuals must understand both thehealth consequences of poor indoorenvironmental quality, and some simpleand feasible interventions to improveIEQ. Public health educationconducted by community healthworkers has been found to be cost-effective regarding behavioural changesin the home and resulting healthbenefits. Indeed, policy changes atmultiple levels are needed to achievehealthy indoor environments. It is quitecertain that the benefits of suchinvestments, measured in terms ofimproved human health andproductivity, significantly outweigh thecosts.

REFERENCES

AL-Anzi, N.M. 2009. Workplaceenvironment and its impact onemployee performance. MBADissertation. Open University ofMalaysia.

Australia State of the EnvironmentReport (2001) . Department of theEnvironment and Heritage, Australia

Bako-Biro, Z., (2004) Humanperception, SBS symptoms andperformance of office work duringexposure to air polluted by buildingmaterials and personal computers, inInternational Centre for IndoorEnvironment and Energy. TechnicalUniversity of Denmark.

Bernstein, J. A., Alexis, N., Bacchus,H., Bernstein, I. L., Fritiz, P., et al.(2008). The Health Effects ofNonindustrial Indoor Air Pollution.Journal of Allergy and Immunology,12(3): 585-590.

Cho, S. and Lee, T.. (2010). Indoorenvironmental quality related onresidential satisfaction in old multi-family housing. In: 3rd InternationalSymposium on Sustainable HealthyBuildings, Seoul, Korea, page. 443-456.

Davies, H. 2010. The psychologicaland physical needs of workersimpacting office design. In:Proceedings of the RICS FoundationConstruction and Building ResearchConference, 2-3 September 2010,COBRA, London, England, page. 1-15.

EPA, U.S., Cost of illness handbook.2002, U. S. Environmental ProtectionAgency: Washington, DC.

European Concerted Action. Indoor AirQuality & Its Impact on Man.Environment and Quality ofLife.Report 10. Effects of Indoor AirPollution on Human Health (1991).

Fisk, W.J. (2000). Health andProductivity Gains from Better IndoorAir Environments and TheirRelationship with Building EnergyEfficiency. Annual Review of Energyand the Environment, 25: 537-566.

Fisk, W.J. (2000). Health andProductivity Gains from Better IndoorAir Environments and TheirRelationship

IOM (Institute of Medicine)2000.

Clearing the Air: Asthma and IndoorAir Exposures. Washington,DC:National Academy Press.

Lahtinen M, Huuhtanen P,Ka¨hko¨nen E, et al. Psychologicaldimensions of solving an indoor airproblem. Indoor Air 2002;12:33-46.

Lee S, Hai G, Wai-Ming L, and Lo-YinC. (2002) "Inter-comparison of AirPollutant Concentrations in DifferentIndoor Environments in Hong Kong.Atmospheric Environment 36: 1929-940. Web.

Loh M, Andres H, George M. Gray, etal. (2006)"Measured Concentrations ofVOCs in Several Non-ResidentialMicroenvironments in the UnitedStates." Environmental Sci-ence &Technology 40.22: 6903-911.

Myatt, T.A., et al., An interventionstudy of outdoor air supply rates andsick leave among office workers., inIndoor Air 2002. 2002. p. 778-783.

Spengler, J.D. and Chen, Q. (2000)."Indoor air quality factors in designinga healthy building," Annual Review ofEnergy and the Environment, 25, 567-600.)

Spengler, J. D., Samet, J. M., andMcCarthy, J. F. (2001). Indoor AirQuality Handbook. McGraw-Hill.

Storey, S and Bartlett, Karen. (2010).Naturally Ventilated BuildingsHealthier? Institute of Resources,Environment & Sustainability andSchool of Environmental Health:University of British Columbia.

U.S. EPA. Indoor Air Pollution: AnIntroduction for Health Professionals.(Last updated April 28, 2010).

U.S. EPA. Indoor Air Quality. TheInside Story: A Guide to Indoor AirQuality.http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html

World Health Organization (WHO)(2009). WHO Guidelines for IndoorAir Quality: Dampness and Mould.WHO Regional Office for Europe.


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Workplaces need to continually assessthe fire safety of their environment.The first line of safety defense must beprevention and this requires a clearunderstanding of the hazards involvedin any particular situation. It is alsoessential that people remain vigilanttowards the general condition of anyequipment, materials, or other itemsthey are using. The best way to avoidfire damage is to recognise and avoidhazardous situations from the start.

WORKPLACE FIRE PREVENTIONPLANS

A fire prevention plan (FPP) is adocument that explains the proceduresthat will help to prevent a fire fromoccurring in the workplace. An FPPincludes essential fire prevention basics,as well as building systems such as fixedfire extinguishing systems and alarmsystems.

FPPs are usually in written form andincludea. A list of all major fire hazards,

proper handling and storageprocedures for hazardous materials,potential ignition sources, and thetype of fire protection equipmentnecessary to control each majorhazard.

b. Procedures to control accumulationsof flammable and combustiblematerials.

c. Procedures for regular maintenanceof safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment.

d. The name or job titles of employeesresponsible for the control of fuelsource hazards. Employers mustinform new employees of firehazards and review the FPP with allemployees so they can plan for self-protection. Ask your supervisor ifyou are unsure if your workplace hasa FPP.

Proactive fire prevention must occur ona daily basis and demands the vigilanceof both employers and employees. Themaintenance of a clean and orderlyworkplace is essential for preventingworkplace fires. You must routinelyinspect the workplace to help avoidfires from these potential hazards

a. Flammable liquids and chemicalagents. Flammable materials can

generate evaporative gases thataccumulate in enclosed areas.

b. Processes that include open flames,sparks, or heat. These includewelding, forging and heattreatment, cutting, and grindingoperations. These processes cangenerate sparks and enough heat toignite nearby flammable materials.

c. Overloaded, flawed, or damagedelectrical circuits can reach hightemperatures and ignite surroundingflammable materials.

d. Materials that chemically decomposegenerate internal heat, andspontaneously combust. Sawdust,grain dust and other organic dustaccumulation and oily rags in opencontainers are especially at risk ofsudden combustion.smoking andcareless disposal of tobacco products.

e. Poor housekeeping allowing thebuild-up of combustible materials.

f. Refuse left in insecure area externallybut adjacent to buildings.

g. Unauthorized repairs to electricalequipment or systems.

CONTROL MEASURESControls to prevent fire/explosion fromoccurring include correct design,selection, and maintenance of theequipment and protective devices andestablishing work rules. Some of the control measures inpractice are stated below• Removal or separation of

incompatibles.• Elimination of ignition sources.• Substitution.

REMOVAL OF CONTRIBUTING AGENTS

Materials that can contribute to aflammable liquid fire should not bestored with flammable liquids.Examples are oxidizers and organicperoxides which, on decomposition, cangenerate large amounts of oxygen.

ELIMINATION OF IGNITION SOURCES

All non-essential ignition sources mustbe eliminated where flammable liquidsare used or stored.

The following is a list of some of the

more common potential ignitionsources:

a. Open flames, such as cutting andwelding torches, furnaces, matches,and heaters-these sources should bekept away from flammable liquidsoperations. Cutting or welding onflammable liquids equipment shouldnot be performed unless theequipment has been properlyemptied and purged with a neutralgas such as nitrogen.

b. Electrical sources of ignition such asmotors, switched, and circuitbreakers-these sources should beeliminated where flammable liquidsare handled or stored. Onlyapproved explosion proof devicesshould be used in these areas.

c. Mechanical sparks - these sparks canbe produced because of friction.Only non-sparking tools should beused in areas where flammableliquids are stored or handled.

d. Static sparks - these sparks can begenerated because of electrontransfer between two contactingsurfaces. The electrons can dischargein a small volume, raising thetemperature to above the ignitiontemperature. Every effort should bemade to eliminate the possibility ofstatic sparks, by earthing and the useof materials which do not causestatic electricity.

e. Sparks from over-head welding inthe workshop environment are bestprotected from falling by cordoningthe area with fire resistant sheet andsomeone must be on stand by with afire extinguisher.

f. A hot work permit system should beimplemented when doing hot workin the vicinity of combustiblematerials.

The importance of a fire prevention plan

This information is extracted from theSafety Handbook published by the SafetyFirst Association. This book has over 400illustrated pages of information vital toanyone involved in occupational health andsafety.

To find out more visit www.safety1st.co.za,Email [email protected] or phone+27 11 701-5054.


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Rob van Hemert is well known to readers ofNational Safety for his wide ranging articlescovering safety and risk. During his career,he had many very personal close encounters

with life threatening situations.

by Rob van Hemert

Flirting with dangerDodging tankers

It was 1980, I had taken a scuba divingcourse and really enjoyed it. Thetraining was done in the huge pool atthe university of Singapore and thenwith a few open water dives we wereawarded the PADI class 1 scuba divingcertificate (or whatever it was).

I had a boat there, and one weekendGreg and I decided to dive at a deepreef out in the Singapore straits. That isa busy shipping lane, probably secondbusiest after the English channel. Fromany point at any one time you couldprobably count 6 vessels.

We anchored the boat in 10 m deepwater, donned our gear, checked eachother out and entered the water.

Somebody asked once why do diversalways fall off their boats backwards.The answer given was that if they wentthe other way they'd fall into the boatand hurt themselves.

Anyway, descending I got into troubleat about 8 m with an excruciating painin my right ear. I could not clear theEustachian tube to equalize thepressure on both sides of the eardrum. Iblew hard into my nose and finallyafter moving my jaws sideways backand forth a few times there was a mostwelcome high pitched peeetooouuwwwsound, as air squeezed through anarrow hole, and the pain subsided.

Visibility was only about 5 m, duemainly to the amount of shipping inthis relatively shallow body of water.

Deep ships would ride only about 4 mabove the bottom and churn up thesilt. The reef was covered in silt and ofno interest, so Greg indicated that weshould explore deeper.

The sandy bottom shelved downwardsat a gentle angle and we followed it,

here and there finding a flower likegrowth sticking up out of the sand. Iwas getting bored with this, alsoworried about decompression, as wewere at 30 m, so I indicated to Greg wereturn.

He checked his watch and indicated"Wait a bit". Okay I thought, he wasthe more experienced diver.

I noticed that my mask had suddenlybecome full so I cleared it, making sureI had a good fit when I replaced it.

At that depth (by now 31 m) thereshould have been no leak. However, itrapidly filled again and this time Inoticed there was colour to the liquid asit escaped.

Looking into my mask, I saw it wasblood, obviously coming from my nose.I grabbed Greg's leg, showed him myproblem and indicated we must ascend.He countered with descend, which Iignored.

Feeling lightheaded by then, andascending at a good pace, the samespeed as my exhaust bubbles, I blewsome air into my buoyancy jacket,cleared my mask again and that wasthe last thing I remember underwater.

When I came to I was on the surface,with my mask off and jacket fullyinflated. Greg was towing mebackwards towards the far shore.

When he saw I'd surfaced he shouted"We've got to get the hell out of here!"and with good reason.

We were in the westbound lane of theSingapore straits with a ship bearingdown on us. Another had just passed usby 500 m. My boat was about akilometer away. We both swam likemad towards it, the ship passing us bynot more than 100m. Too close forcomfort and certainly would have beentickets if I hadn't come to when I did.

What we had done was totallyirresponsible. We should never haveventured out into deep water alongsideor into the straits. A passing ship couldeasily have ripped all our gear off withits wash. With hindsight, the fact that Ididn't drown in my own blood is alsosurprising. A lucky escape!

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Tel: +27 11 701-5054 / www.safety1st.co.zaEmail: [email protected]


Good Day IOSM Members!

By the time you read this we will be well into winter! I trustthat you will have your cold weather plans in place to ensurethe exposure of your employees to the cold is adequatelymanaged. Those of you working in a winter rainfall areashould by now also have considered and implemented yourwet weather driving strategies!

LEGISLATION

The Department of Labour has been very busy over the pastmonths amongst others with the publication or the newErgonomic Regulations for comment, as well as working onthe revisions of a number of the other regulations to theOHS Act, 85 of 1993. As indicated some time ago, the draftOHS Bill is also still in process and according to the ChiefInspector, now getting closer to being published forcomment. We will try and keep you as up to date as we can!

One document which has been quite a while in seeing thelight is the Guidelines to the Construction Regulations 2014.That was published in Government Gazette No. 40883,dated 2 June 2017. All members of IOSM can access theGuidelines at www.iosm.co.za or you could access it directlyfrom the DoL website at www.labour.gov.za or from theGovernment Printers website athttp://www.gpwonline.co.za/Gazettes/Pages/Published-National-Government-Gazettes.aspx.

Those involved in construction work should make it theirbusiness to look at these as the DoL has clarified a number ofissues that created a bit of confusion in the past.

FEEDBACK ON A-OSH EXPO 2017

This annual Health and Safety event was held from 30 Mayto 1 June at Gallagher Estate.

As usual it was well attended by exhibitors and visitors alike.The A-OSH Expo Seminar Theatre - this year sponsored bythe BBF Safety Group - again was well attended.

Speakers included the Chief Inspector, Mr Tibor Szana andMr Shamusideen Kadiri from Nigeria who spoke on theperspective of the challenges faced by OHS practitioners inthe rest of Africa.

The topics were diverse and presented by experts dealingwith the proper use and selection of specific PPE,environmental management, selection of OccupationalHygiene service providers and ISO 45001.

•

Joep Joubert

Message fromthe President

The Chief Inspector discussing new and ongoing developments interms of OHS legislation

Mr Shamusideen Kadiri sharing his perspective on OHS in Africaat the moment

I would like to thank the SAPEMA team for theircooperation to again make the seminar theatre a success thisyear!

Please note that the IOSM has a number of electronicsmeans of communication, besides our regular e-mail circularsthat we send out. Our web page at www.iosm.co.za isupdated with relevant information and contains very usefulinformation in the body of knowledge section, we have aLinkedIn group at https://www.linkedin.com/in/iosm-institute-of-safety-managment-83307b110/?ppe=1 and aface book page at https://www.facebook.com/iosm1/

Please don’t only like the page, also send us a friend request,we want to grow the group as much as possible! Also expectto see some information on webinars soon!

Keep well and keep informed!!

E-mail: [email protected] / Tel +27 12 661 5166 / Website: www.iosm.co.za


•


Agricultural pollution refers to bioticand abiotic by-products of farmingpractices that result in contaminationor degradation of the environment andsurrounding ecosystems, and can causeinjury to humans and their economicinterests.

The pollution may come from a varietyof sources, ranging from point sourcepollution (from a single dischargepoint) to more diffuse, landscape-levelcauses, also known as non-point sourcepollution

Abiotic sources are:

Pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals andland management.

Biotic sources are:

Greenhouse gases, bio pesticides,introduced invasive species, geneticallymodified organisms and animalmanagement.

Pesticides and herbicides are applied toagricultural land to control pests thatdisrupt crop production. Soilcontamination can occur whenpesticides persist and accumulate insoils, which can alter microbialprocesses, increase plant uptake of thechemical, and also cause toxicity to soilorganisms.

Pesticides can also accumulate inanimals that eat contaminated pestsand soil organisms. In addition,pesticides can be more harmful tobeneficial insects, such as pollinators,and to natural enemies of pests (i.e.insects that prey on or parasitize pests)than they are to the target peststhemselves.

PESTICIDE LEACHING

Pesticide leaching occurs whenpesticides mix with water and move

through the soil, ultimatelycontaminating groundwater.

Leaching is most likely to happen if youare using a water-soluble pesticide,when the soil tends to be sandy intexture or if excessive watering occursjust after pesticide application.

Fertilizer

Phosphate rocks contain high levels offluoride. Consequently, the widespreaduse of phosphate fertilizers hasincreased soil fluoride concentrations.

Radioactive elements

The radioactive content of fertilizersvaries considerably and depends bothon their concentrations in the parentmineral and on the fertilizer productionprocess. At present it is not consideredto be a danger to humans.

Heavy metals

Steel industry wastes, which arerecycled into fertilizers for their highlevels of zinc (essential to plantgrowth), can include the followingtoxic metals: lead, arsenic, cadmium,chromium, and nickel. The mostcommon toxic elements in this type offertilizer are mercury, lead, and arsenic.

The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)applied to agricultural land (viasynthetic fertilizers, composts, manures,bio-solids, etc.) can provide valuableplant nutrients. However, if notmanaged correctly, excessive N and Pcan have negative environmentalconsequences.

ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

Manures and bio-solids contain manynutrients consumed by animals andhumans in the form of food.

The practice of returning such wasteproducts to agricultural land presentsan opportunity to recycle soil nutrients.

The challenge is that manures and bio-solids contain not only nutrients such ascarbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, but

they may also contain contaminants,including pharmaceuticals and personalcare products.

LAND MANAGEMENT

Soil erosion and sedimentation

Agriculture contributes greatly to soilerosion and sediment depositionthrough intensive usage or inefficientland cover.

It is estimated that agricultural landdegradation is leading to an irreversibledecline in fertility on about 6 million haof fertile land each year.

BIOTIC SOURCES

Greenhouse gases from fecal waste

Animal management. Manuremanagement

One of the main contributors to air, soiland water pollution is animal waste.

It is estimated that one dairy farm with2,500 cows produces as much waste asa city with around 411,000 residents.

It has been identified that odours arethe most significant animal emissionproblem at the local level. According toa 2005 report by the USDA, more than335 million tons of “dry matter” waste(the waste after water is removed) isproduced annually on farms in theUnited States.

Animal feeding operations produceabout 100 times more manure than theamount of human sewage sludgeprocessed in US municipal waste waterplants each year.

Food for thought: Humans needNature. Nature does not needHumans.

If we keep on destroying our planet,our children may one day look at usand ask: “What have you done?”

Pollution in agriculture? You must be joking

Pieter van Rensburg.(ROSPrac)


•

There are many unscrupulous trainingproviders who are not accredited toregister credits for certain training, butstill issue training certificates showingthe credits to be awarded, thus givingthe false impression that the delegatewill be awarded credits on the NationalLearner Record Database (NLRD).

I raised this issue with the trainingprovider after an application was madeto HWSETA for an extension of scopefor an additional unit standard.HWSETA advised that the providerwas not approved for that unitstandard nor for a skills programme.Yet, the provider’s training certificatereflected the HWSETA logo as well as

GIVE credits where credits are due - A scam?


ARE YOU MEETING ALL OCCUPATIONALAND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES?

Occutech is an inspection authority for the work and business environment surrounds approved by the Department of Labour

• Indoor air quality assessment• Risk assessors• Occupational hygiene• Environmental consultants

“PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!”

http://www.occutech.co.zaEmail: [email protected]

Tel: (031) 206-1244 Fax: (031) 205-2561

Occutech is able to recognise,

evaluate and recommend

cost-effective controls of

occupational and

environmental hazards

SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE CREDITS NQF LEVEL

244283 Facilitate the development, implementation 10 Level 5and maintenance of a Safety Health and

Environment management system

Submitted by Delene Sheasby (RosPrac),Registrar

the credits to be awarded.

Now, 3 years later and the matter hasstill not been resolved! Regularcommunication sent to the providerhas been ignored. Needless to say, thecredits have also not been registered onthe NLRD!

Training certificates are regularly

submitted with membershipapplications to the Registrar for TheInstitute of Safety Management, Myadvice to you ... Check with SAQA ifyour credits shown on your certificateshave been recorded on the NLRD orfollow up with the training provider.These courses are not cheap!

Send Email to : [email protected] ID numberPlease forward my credits as per NLRD

by Leighton Bennett

Tuesday 13th June 2017 was avery sad day for OccupationalHealth and Safety in South Africa.

Robin stepped down as thePresident of South AfricanInstitute of Occupational Safetyand Health (Saiosh) during the A-OHS Expo Conference at the

Gallagher Estates Convention Centre last month - but hisstory goes back some 40 years in occupational safety.

I knew Robin from his days as the safety officer at the SappiFine Paper plant in Tongaat where he later become thesafety manager for many years.

Over a number of years we met monthly at the SABSbuilding in Mayville in Durban for the CHIiSE and laterIOSM meetings where Robin often gave very entertainingsafety presentations, normally with his style of telling a jokeor using some aid to illustrate his safety point.

Robin was passionate and committed to the safetyprofession and succeeded by being awarded as the IOSMNational Safety Practitioner of the Year in 1996 and again2006. He became part of the IOSM Executive and was theIOSM President from 2000 to 2002.

Robin was a Founder Member, Director, Councillor,President of Saiosh, and Immediate Past President at thetime of his sudden passing.

In recent years my contact with Robin has been throughemails and phone calls, or at conferences, meetings orseminars in Gauteng, and sadly I missed seeing him atGallagher Estate last month.

Robin is another of the safety profession's stalwarts that hasleft a legacy for the safety profession going forward.

Thank you, Robin for your dedication to our safetyprofession, IOSM and Saiosh over the years

Our condolences and thoughts go to Robin's family.

I will miss you my old friend.

Obituary Robin W Jones 07 May 1943 - 13 June 2017


•

GAS SAFETY

Since 1892, Egoli Gas (Pty) Ltd, amember of the Southern African GasAssociation (SAGA), has been proudlyreticulating natural gas to variousmarkets. This environmentally friendlyfossil fuel is extracted from decomposedplant and animal matter and serves asan effective and energy efficient sourceof energy that reduces pollution, aidingin maintaining a clean and healthyenvironment.

Egoli Gas is an authorised gas installeraccredited to distribute piped naturalgas within the GJM area. It iscommitted to creating a low carbonlifestyle that is energy efficient. Egoliaims to encourage natural gas as analternative form of energy in theJohannesburg metropolitan area.Johannesburg-based Egoli Gas acquiresits natural gas from Sasol and stores itat a secure facility in Langlaagte whereit is carefully monitored and controlled.The gas is reticulated to Egoli Gas’Cottesloe premises where it is stored inlow-pressure holders prior to being

Egoli Gas - The natural alternative

The Department of Labour hasmandated the Southern African GasAssociation (SAGA) as the verificationauthority for Natural Gas andLiquefied Petroleum Gas industrialequipment.

All industrial equipment needs toconform to the SANS 329 and SANS347 specifications which are used bySAGA Industry Stakeholders to ensureall equipment manufactured in SouthAfrica or imported to South Africa andsupplied to the market place conformsto the Pressure Equipment Regulations(PER) and is suitable for gas usage.

The PER regulates all Natural Gas andLiquefied Petroleum Gas industrialequipment which meets a safetystandard and will not be the cause ofany health hazard or endangerment.

These regulations set out therequirements regarding the design,manufacture, operation, repair,modification, maintenance, inspectionand testing of pressure equipment. Interms of the Occupational Health andSafety Act, 1993, the PER alsoaddresses persons intending to workon any gas systems to undergo specifictraining and to be registered with theSouth African Qualification andCertification Committee - Gas(SAQCC Gas) to obtain a licence towork on gas systems.

“Gas is cheaper, more efficient and insome cases more environmentallyfriendly. It can however be verydangerous to use if not operatedproperly.” George Davis -Risk BenefitSolutions (RBS)

CURBING UNLAWFUL INSTALLATIONS

In an effort to curb unlawful gasinstallations, SAGA, under itsmandate, has established the Safe GasEquipment Scheme (SGES) that is setto ensure that all industrial equipmentinstalled in South Africa has beentested and is in conformance with aninternational or nationally acceptablestandard that is safe and fit for itsintended purpose.

All industrial equipment that has beendeclared fit for use within a gas system

will be provided with a SAGAEquipment Verification Permit, whichis issued to the manufacturer orimporter to prove conformity.

A registered gas practitioner will needto indicate and certify on the Certificateof Conformity (COC) that theequipment installed has beenconfirmed fit for purpose by the SGESCommittee, a permit number or thecertificate to be recorded and or beattached to the COC.

If equipment is installed that has notbeen awarded a Verification Permit, theuser owning the equipment oroperating it, is liable for any damage orinjury that may occur.

Accidents with non-verified equipmentare inevitable; they are a disaster justwaiting to happen.

The PER is a legally bindingregulation, therefore anyone not inconformance with these regulationsstands to be legally charged.

The Safe Gas Equipment Scheme - A safety measure

NON-COMPLIANCE - FATAL EXAMPLE

For example, on February 17th, 2017,contractors at the Naval Base inDurban were assigned to work in thesewer pit when there was a suddenmethane gas leakage in one of theunderground installations. All three ofthe contractors died, along with threemembers of the South African NationalDefence Force (SANDF) whoattempted to rescue them. The six menwere exposed to methane gas and alldied from inhaling it, explained thespokesperson of the SANDFMafiMgobozi. Methane gas will kill ifinhaled.

The military police, as well as theSAPS, are conducting investigationswith intent to hold someone liable forthe six deaths in a homicide case.

Consumers and end users of gas mustunderstand that if their unlawfulappliances or installation cause anyharm, they are directly liable.

reticulated to homes and businessesacross the city.

Egoli gas has been supplying naturalgas to over 7500 domestic spaces,central water, multi-dwellings, andhospitality and industrial markets. Gasto these various premises is reticulatedvia an established, safe, 1200km gasnetwork in the Johannesburg area.

For domestic use, Egoli Gas is locatedin many of the more establishedJohannesburg suburbs; however, thepipeline extends even further forcommercial and industrial customers.

To contact Egoli Gas, call 011 356 5000,e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.egoligas.co.za

For more information on SAGA visitwww.sagas.co.za


ABOUT SAQCC GAS

SAQCC Gas is Non Profit Company that has been formed by four MemberAssociations to establish a central database which displays details of registered andauthorised Gas Practitioners to work on gas and gas systems. The SAQCC Gashas been officially appointed and mandated by the Department of Labour toregister gas practitioners, on their behalf, within the following gas industries:• Natural Gas• Liquefied Petroleum Gas• Air Conditioning and RefrigerationGas• Compressed Industrial and Medical GasesThe Member Associations are:• LPGSASA - Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Association of Southern Africa• SACGA - Southern Africa Compressed Gases Association• SARACCA - South African Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Contractors

Association• SAGA - Southern African Gas Association

•

GAS SAFETY

Only registered practitioners may issuea CoC, a complete list of thesepractitioners can be found on:www.saqccgas.co.za

COC AND INSURANCE

Most people are oblivious to theimportance of holding a CoC for everygas installation on their properties, thisincludes air conditioning andrefrigeration units - the importance isgenerally realised when it is too late.

It is usual for people to get insurancecover for their properties and assets,however, it is a staggering truth thatowners could be paying insurancepremiums for years and end upreceiving no cover in the occurrence of

Are you sure you are insured?Years of faithful insurance premiumscan prove valueless in the absence of aCertificate of Conformity (CoC).

It is a startling fact that you stand tolose hefty amounts of money that weremeant to be an “insurance” on yourassets.

Insurance companies will not cough-upif you cannot present a valid CoC whenmaking a claim. Can you afford to loseall your assets and have your insurancerepudiated?

AWARENESS OF REGULATIONS ANDSAFETY STANDARDS

A vast majorityof South African citizensare moving towards the use of gasappliances due to the increasing cost ofelectricity and possible outages.However, most users are unaware ofthe specific regulations and safetystandards with which they mustcomply when getting gas equipmentinstalled in their households.Overlooking these regulations can bedetrimental in many ways.

According to the Pressure EquipmentRegulations (PER), all natural gas andliquefied petroleum gas appliances andequipment should meet the specifiedstandards to ensure safety. Theseregulations set out the requirementsregarding the design, manufacture,operation, repair, modification,maintenance, inspection and testing ofpressure equipment.

In terms of the Occupational Healthand Safety Act, 1993, the PER alsorequires persons handling theinstallation of any gas systems toundergo specific training and to beregistered with the South AfricanQualification and CertificationCommittee - Gas (SAQCC Gas). TheRegistered Gas Practitioner must issuea Certificate of Conformity (CoC)forany equipment they install.

WHAT IS A CERTIFICATE OFCONFORMITY?

A Certificate of Conformity (CoC) forGas installations is a legal documentwhich must be obtained whenever agas system is installed, modifiedorrepaired and should be retained forpossible future requirement.

an incident or accident involving gas.

Should there be no valid Certificate ofConformity, many insurance companieswill not accept liability for costs ofdamage caused to property or assets.The loss and damage suffered by anowner / user due to a gas installationfor which a valid CoChas not beenissued, falls entirely on the owner.Regardless of cost of reparation, theinsurance will most likely not cover it.

"The majority of insurance companieswould require this certificate to provethat the installation was safe and hasbeen serviced regularly,” says LaniceSteward- managing director of KnightFrank Anne Porter.


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Designed in 1967, DuPontTM Tyvek® isa non-woven material that hasrevolutionised the limited use chemicalprotection garment market thanks toits combination of exceptionalproperties: chemical barrier, durabilityand breathability. This uniqueinvention has also influenced manyother industries and applications forwhich high-performance protectionwas needed.

Today, with over 200 million garmentsand accessories sold world-wide andinnovations being developed yearly,DuPont Protection Solutions hasbecome the world's leader in chemicalprotection garments.

DUPONTTM TYVEK®, A MATERIAL WITHUNRIVALLED PERFORMANCES

In 1955, Jim White, a researcher atDuPont, discovers a new source offibres that will give rise to Tyvek®.Several years later, a research anddevelopment programme, led byHerbert Blades, results in the companyregistering a patent for high densitypolyethylene. Its exclusive DuPontflash spinning production processcreates continuous fibres distributedrandomly and in a single direction.

In April 1967, the Tyvek® brand seesthe light of day. The recognisedperformance of the naturally whiteTyvek® material resides in its uniqueblend of properties. Combiningcomfort and durability, its multi-layerstructure proves to be an excellentbarrier against a wide range of dryparticles and liquid chemical products.

Since then, this invention hasrevolutionised many industries andbecome an invaluable material in lots ofapplications: paper, sterile packaging,construction materials ... and chemicalprotection garments.

At the end of the 1980s, DuPont,forever attentive to users' specific needs,detects a requirement for protectionagainst the risks of exposure to liquidchemicals and therefore develops a fullrange of high protection Tychem®

garments, designed using Tyvek®

technology.

DuPont celebrates 50 years of DuPontTM Tyvek®

50 years of scientific innovation in the service of protection

Today, thanks to their superiorprotection levels, several millionDuPontTM Tyvek® garments are soldannually. Over the last 50 years, it hasplayed a considerable role throughoutthe world, supporting emergencyresponse efforts in many catastrophes:protection for healthcare staff in westAfrica dealing with the Ebola virus, theclean-up operation following thetsunami in Japan, including theFukushima nuclear power stations etc.

These limited use DuPontTM Tyvek®

garments have set the standard forprotection against hazardous dryparticles, including asbestos fibres, leaddust etc. They can also be used incleanrooms.

DUPONT'S EXPERTISE IN THESERVICE OF SAFETY ANDRELIABILITY

The specialist in chemical protectiongarments, DuPont Protection Solutionsputs the safety and quality that runsthrough the company's veins at theheart of its strategy. This is whyDuPont Protection Solutions iscommitted always to exceed thestandards required for PPE, as isdemonstrated by the performances ofthe Tyvek® Classic Xpert overall, therange's flagship product.

For this type 5 and 6 garment, DuPontProtection Solutions thereforemeasured the permeability of theTyvek® material with over 40 chemicalproducts, even though the standardonly requires this test from type 4.

As regards garment penetration by fineparticles, the standard specifies a rate ofinternal leakage of less than 15%.Tyvek® Classic Xpert recorded a leakagerate of just 1%, a performance well inexcess of the standard's requirements!

In our continuing quest for reliability,DuPont Protection Solutions is alreadysubjecting its overalls to some 500chemical substances, and regularly teststhem with new substances.

At the same time, DuPont ProtectionSolutions provides customers withaccess to a technical team and aninteractive DuPontTM SafeSPECTM

website for advice and support in thechoice of the most suitable garmentsfor their protection requirements.

INNOVATION FOR EVER BETTERPROTECTION

For 50 years, DuPont's success has beenbased not only the unique properties ofDuPontTM Tyvek® and its leading edgetechnology expertise, but also on thedevelopment of innovations. In a

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Advertorial


•

market that has become increasinglycompetitive in the last 10 years,DuPont Protection Solutions continuesto boost its strategy of innovations.

A perfect illustration of this continuingresearch, the Tychem® ThermoProstands out as a unique offer on themarket.

The result of extremely sophisticatedtechnical and scientific development, itoffers triple protection in one single-layer garment against projections ofchemical products, heat and flames andelectric arcs. It also won the 2016award for innovation at the PréventicaLille trade show.

A further example is the Tyvek®800 J, atype 3 chemical protection garmentthat combines resistance to pressurisedjets of aqueous chemical substances,breathability, durability and freedom ofmovement, thanks to its impermeable"Tyvek® Impervious Technology"technology. Designed for use in verydamp environments, it offers an

unequalled comfort that wasrecognised by the 2014 award forinnovation at the Préventica Marseilletrade show.

To meet customers' specific needs,DuPont Protection Solutions worksclosely with them to design specialproducts, such as the Tyvek® 500 HVoverall.

This solution was developed inpartnership with SNCF, which neededa type 5 and 6 protection garmentcombining high visibility, a chemicalbarrier, protection against exposure tobiological and health risks, and ahoodless design to avoid interferencewith operatives' hearing.

All of these examples illustrate howDuPont has been providing its scientificand technical expertise for 50 years inthe service of first-rate protection forevery type of application.

These 50 years of performance havebuilt the reputation of DuPontTM

Tyvek® throughout the world, and

Tychem® ThermoPro

Tyvek®800 J

Tyvek® 500 HV

gained it the unfailing trust of all itsusers.

A success that DuPont intends tocontinue in the coming 50 years as itmaintains its policy of innovations toimprove the way we meet marketrequirements.

Find out more:www.safespec.dupont.co.ukContact: Loren PearsonTel: 011 218 8600 /082 377 [email protected]

MEMBER OF


•

PVC gumboots can be cold in winter, sweaty in summer and heavy allyear round.

Polyurethane boots from Wayne keep feet more comfortable, betterprotected and happier for longer.

And while they may cost more than PVC, there are more than enoughreasons why:

LIGHT AND FLEXIBLE

• Weigh less than PVC gumboots.

• Stay flexible in extreme temperatures of -20°C.

SUPERIOR INSULATION

• Foamed polyurethane material contains tiny airbubbles that make boots warm in winter andbreathable in summer.

UNDENIABLY DURABLE

• Tests show that PU boots last up to 3x longerthan PVC boots.

• Withstand fats, chemicals, hydrocarbons, mildchemicals and industrial greases.

SLIP RESISTANT

• Excellent traction sole.

• Less slip and fall injuries.

OPTIMAL PROTECTION

• Steel or composite toe caps for extra safety.

There’s no reason to have cold feet about buyingpolyurethane boots from Wayne.

Five reasonsto choose PU over PVC



MEMBER OF

•

UVEX Safety South Africa (Pty) Ltduvex safety (Durban) Phone: +27 (31) 569 6780 E-Mail: [email protected]

uvex safety (Pretoria) Phone: +27 (12) 345 6656 E-Mail: [email protected]

Safety just got more comfortableuvex pheos cx2

MEMBER OF


The uvex pheos cx2boastsinnovativefeaturesmaking iteven morepowerfulthan theestablished uvex pheosand pheos s safety spectacles.For example, the advanced X-Twisttechnology and the new X-tended eyeshield are proven to help ensure anoptimal fit as well as complete coverageof the eye area, providing reliableprotection in every situation.

SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY

X-tended eye shield: Optimum eyeprotection for every situation.

The soft components, which are fixeddirectly to the lens, provide dependableprotection from dust and water. Theinnovative uvex X-tended eye shield fitsperfectly on the wearer's face, ensuringa high level of wearer comfort and100% protection.

PERFECT CURVATURE

X-Twist technology: No matter how thehead is moved.

Featuring X-Twist technology, the uvexpheos cx2 is suitable for all situationsenabling completely free headmovement. The light spring effect ofthe side arm ensures the spectacles fitindividual head shapes ergonomicallycombining a secure fit with maximumwearer comfort.

PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS

1. Comfortable and slip resistant

The soft bridge and nose pieces, whichare directly moulded to the lens, as wellas the X-Twist technology, ensureoptimum wearer comfort and secure fit.

2. Scratch resistant and anti-fog

Thanks to uvex supravision excellencecoating technology, the uvex pheos cx2

is highly scratch resistant andpermanently anti-fog on the

inside. Additionally, thespectacles offer 100%

protection againstUV 400

3. Optimumprotection of theeye area

The duo-spherical with a uvex X-tended eye shield features additional

curvature on the upper edge for safeand reliable eyebrow protection.

4. Smooth opening mechanism

The metal-free hinges fold effortlessly.Innovative materials ensure consistentlysmooth movement of the side arms.

5. Excellent ventilation

The sophisticated side arm designprovides exceptional ventilation andhelps to improve the climate aroundthe eye.

Leak test

Convincing performance:When sprayed directlywith a reagent, the X-

tended eye shield did notlet a single dropletthrough - whether

sprayed from the front(as per standard), from

above

or laterally (in accordancewith uvex procedures).This confirms that the

uvex pheos cx2 providesexcellent protection when

working overhead.

A close fit

Ergonomic fit on the face:The distance between theforehead and spectacleshas been measured atfour different points,

confirming a snug andsecure fit. Here also theuvex pheos cx2 gains

points.

SUCCESSFUL INDISCIPLINE

9198.237

9198.2569198.285


•

Contact SAPEMA: Secretary: Helena van Greunen ,Email: [email protected]

Tel: 063 442 9935 / 071 602 1456 Website:www.sapema.org

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTSAPEMA

Obituary

Cobus KrugerCobus joinedConsafe in 2004and took on theposition ofManaging Director.

Over the years,regardless of thechallenges he mayhave had along theway, everyonewho’d ever had the

privilege of working with him, alwaysfound him a special pleasure to workwith.

Cobus was a wonderful person whounderstood the meaning of the word“team.” He was always more focusedon the good of the company than onhis own benefit.

He made many great contributions tothe company and helped it moveforward in numerous ways. His workhere will not soon be forgotten.

Cobus was a valuable part of themanagement team. All of his staffthought highly of him, always willingto go the extra mile for anyone thatworked for him.

For those of us who had the privilege ofcalling him "friend" outside of work, wewere humbled by his kindness andcompassion to everyone around him.

Cobus retired at the end of 2015enjoying a well deserved but short livedretirement at his beautiful home inNaboomspruit. Shortly after hisretirement, Cobus was diagnosed withan aggressive cancer. Despite thedevastating news, he remained positiveand continued to live life with apassion. Sadly on 6 April 2017, Cobuslost his battle to cancer.

He was a highly valuable and respectedmember of the Consafe team and hewill be greatly missed.

Some of the worst environmental andtravel disasters of the past few decadeshave been ascribed at least partly tosleep deprivation in the workplace, andits subsequent wider impact in differentarenas. This is according to Dr DenisCronson, who was presenting a seminaron Fighting Workplace Fatigue at thisyear's official A-OSH EXPO which isnow in its seventh year and ran from30 and 31 May and 1 June.

Dr Cronson was speaking at one of thefree-to-attend NOSHEBO SeminarTheatre sessions at the expo, sponsoredby BBF Safety Group.

EXAMPLES OF EXTREME FATIGUE

He mentioned some deadly globalexamples in which tremendousenvironmental damage or loss of lifewas caused by sleep deprivation in theworkplace. These included the ExxonValdez oil spill off Alaska in 1989, thesecond-largest oil spill in Americanhistory; the Chernobyl nuclear disasterin Ukraine in 1986, said by some to bethe worst nuclear disaster in history; atrain disaster in Canada in 2001, whentwo Canadian National trains crashedinto each other, spilling 3,000 gallonsof diesel, and the deadly crash of AirFrance Flight 447 in 2009, which killedall 228 people on board.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN CAUSEDEATH

These are admittedly extreme examplesbut they show without a doubt howdeadly sleep deprivation in theworkplace can be - and not only for theperson who is sleep deprived. We cansee, therefore, why combatting fatiguein the workplace is such an importantconcern.

Dr Cronson says, "Fighting fatigue in

the workplace is a contemporary issuein workplaces around the country.

EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION

An acute and ongoing state of tirednessleads to mental and physical exhaustionand prevents people from functioningwithin normal boundaries.

By law, employers have an obligationto establish the risk that fatigue thatrepresents; try to eliminate or reducefatigue in the workplace, and provide awork place that is safe and without riskto the health of the employees. It is apart of basic health and safetyconditions."

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Dr Cronson explains that keycontributing factors to fatigue at workinclude (but are not limited to):

• The scheduling of the times theemployee is required to work;

• The duration of the working time,including the rotation of shifts;

• Mental and physical exhaustion;environmental factors such as heatcold or excessive vibration;

• Individual factors that come into playfrom the person's lifestyle, such as theresponsibilities of children and theemployee's general fitness, diet, homeand sleeping conditions.

He clarifies, "So we have work andnon-work related fatigue, which allimpact on work-related issues and,taken to extreme, can lead to disasters.

We know that excessive alcoholconsumption leads to performanceimpairment, significantly slowingreaction time and distorting vision. Ithas been shown that, at the legal bloodalcohol limit of 0.05g of alcohol per

Fighting workplace fatigue

CASE STUDY SHOW DISASTERS RESULTING FROM EXTREME FATIGUEIn the Exxon Valdez oil spill, employees had been working up to 14-hour shiftsand a tired third mate had fallen asleep at the wheel. In the Chernobyl disaster,the power plant exploded after engineers had worked 13 hours or more. In theCanadian National train disaster, two crewmen on one of the freight trainssuffered from sleep apnoea that caused chronic sleeplessness and resultantfatigue. In the Air France disaster, the official report concluded that the pilothad had only had one hour of sleep the night before, and was taking a napwhen the plane collided with a tropical storm.

NOSHEBO PRESENTATION


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PPE protection for winterFOOTWEAR

Slips, trips and falls are among the most frequent workplace injuries, and oftenlead to workers compensation claims as a result of head injuries, back injuries,broken bones, and lacerations. Employers are affected by lost work time, the costof temporary employees to fill in for injured employees, and increased insurancepremiums.

Maintaining safe working conditions is the most important way to prevent theseaccidents. But, proper winter footwear also plays a role in worker safety and theprevention of slips and falls. Depending on the nature and environment of theworkplace, protective footwear options include steel toe, composite toe,metatarsal, slip-resistant, cold resistant, heat-resistant, and chemical resistantboots, shoes, and overshoes – among others.

Styles for protective footwear range from heavy duty to lightweight and flexible.Many styles of footwear are available in natural rubber. Because it stretches,natural rubber footwear is easier to put on and take off – and it stays comfortableall day. It stays supple in the winter months because it performs very well in lowtemperatures.

Waterproof boots can help prevent frostbite in wet conditions, which is neededespecially for workers who often have to stand in slush while working. A properlydesigned sole that provides traction on slippery surfaces protects workers fromfalls on snow and ice. Deep lug, cleated outsoles provide sure-footed traction inwintry conditions. Many workers prefer to wear their own work boots even if theyare not made for winter environments.

Workers in outdoor environments already face many hazardous conditions. Fromslips and falls to protection from the cold, proper outerwear and footwear helpkeep workers safe.

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

High visibility apparel is important in many outdoor work areas, so workers needwinter gear that meets regulatory requirements while also enabling them to workeffectively in a cold work environment. When road workers are on roadways andhighways surrounded by drivers in winter weather conditions, high visibilityprotection is even more important to their safety.

Outerwear like jackets, coats, and overalls should not just protect workers fromthe cold. They should also be designed to allow for flexibility and freedom ofmovement, so workers can continue to easily perform their tasks on the job.

Breathable materials help workers stay comfortable when the jobs they performcause them to sweat into their clothes despite the cold.

When selecting winter protective clothing, look for jackets and coats withfeatures like seamed seals for waterproof protection, throat guards to seal outwind and rain, and draw cords to seal out the cold. Overalls provide more coldweather protection than jeans especially if they are waterproof. Jeans easily absorbwater from melting snow or rain, and most are too lightweight to offer muchinsulation.

Layering clothes traps air between layer and warms the body more than one thickjacket or coat. Jackets with removable liners enable workers to easily adjust thelayers they are wearing depending on conditions, which can change over thecourse of a work day.

Reprinted with thanks from Protection Update (winter 2016) - an e-newsletterwith the aim of informing users, specifiers and purchasers of personal protectiveequipment, and those who regulate it. Visit the ISEA website atwww.safetyequipment.org

100 ml, an individual is four timesmore likely to be in an accident.

It has further been proven that whenan individual has been awake for 17hours, this is like the equivalent ofhaving imbibed alcohol to the legallimit. When you have been awake for20 hours - just another three hoursmore - it is as though you are at doublethe legal limit.

Fatigue really reduces your ability toconcentrate, make decisions, recogniserisks and communicate effectively - itreally raises the risk of accidents."

RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACH

Dr Cronson says it is important tofollow a practical risk managementapproach, in which the hazards need tobe assessed and the risks managed."Consultation is critically important inthe workplace, among employers,employees and health and safetyrepresentatives and committees. Thisconsultation process becomes especiallyimportant in the case of a near miss. Arisk assessment needs to show whereemployees are at risk of becomingimpaired by fatigue, who they are andhow many of them, how often thiscould happen and the degree of harmthat would result.

A risk management schedule needs tobe set in place, hazards identified andrisks assessed. Thereafter risk controlprocesses can be set up."

IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO REDUCEEMPLOYEE FATIGUE

He outlined a number of practicalconsiderations in setting up fatiguemanagement plans in the workplace,concluding that "The implementationof a fatigue management plan in theworkplace has the potential to reduceemployee fatigue or its causes, reducethe further likelihood of fatigueoccurring in the work place, andcounteract the effects of fatigue when itdoes occur.

Fatigue management systems need toidentify the hazards of fatigue, assessthe risks and implement controlmeasures, and monitor and review theeffectiveness of the fatiguemanagement plan."

Dr Cronson's presentation can beaccessed from www.aosh.co.za.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT


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occupational hygiene profession.However, SAIOH has attracted its fairshare of controversy over the years,among its members and detractorsalike, leading to questions like,"What isin it for me?"

HERE ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITSOF BEING A SAIOH MEMBER:

Profession protection

By now we believe that every memberof the organisation knows that onlySAIOH certified members are allowedto practice as occupational hygieneprofessionals. The organisation hascontinuously endeavoured to ensurethat its professional members acrosssouthern Africa are recognised.

Over the years, SAIOH has lobbied theregulatory authorities such as theDepartments of Labour and MineralResources (DoL, DMR), on behalf of itscertified members, to recognise andensure that every person who practisesoccupational hygiene is certified bySAIOH to do so. This means that allorganisations, including government,industry, corporate and state-ownedenterprises, etc. may not employ non-certified members to performoccupational hygiene services.

Thus, one of the main benefits of beinga SAIOH member is that theprofession is well protected from "fly-by-night" service providers and frombeing hijacked by other professions.

At this time, SAIOH would like topose the reverse question to itsmembers:

"How are you protecting yourprofession, and giving back toSAIOH?"

Our suggestions would be to acquireknowledge and expertise to be at thepinnacle and cutting edge of theoccupational hygiene skills set.

The ultimate goal of any academicinstitution is knowledge which isfollowed by certification. The SAIOHProfessional Certification Committee(PCC) is the occupational hygiene skillsset custodian, continuously testing

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE - SAIOH

Report from the SAIOH President and Council Members

News from SAIOH

"Competent Person".

The President and Council Members ofSAIOH are pleased to announce thatHennie van der Westhuizen has beenelected to SAIOH Council to managethe Technical Portfolio. As a certifiedoccupational hygienist who recentlyretired from a long career in academia,Hennie has extensive experience andexpertise in occupational hygiene,environmental health, safety, themanagement of academic programmesin occupational and environmentalhealth, and research. We extend ourcongratulations to Hennie, on behalf ofall SAIOH members.

SAIOH participated in exhibiting at A-OSH Expo 2017, Africa's leadingoccupational health and safety expo,which took place from 30 May to 1June at the Gallagher ConventionCentre inMidrand, Gauteng. The A-OSH Expo, now in its 6th year, plays apivotal role in assisting to identify andaddress workplace occupational healthand safety issues, through an informedexhibition base, a collaborativeeducational portfolio, and the offeringof many networking opportunities.

We take this opportunity to remind ourmembers to please diarise the dates ofthe SAIOH Conference and AnnualGeneral Meeting, 25 to 27 October2017. The Conference will be held atthe Misty Hills Hotel in the Cradle ofHumankind in Gauteng; this year'stheme is: "Occupational Hygiene:Building Bridges Beyond Borders".

In this issue of the National SafetyMagazine (and the next issue), SAIOHincludes a refresher on the manybenefits and advantages of being and/orbecoming a SAIOH member.

SAIOH REFRESHER - "WHAT IS IN ITFOR ME?"

Who are we and why we exist:Thinking beyond borders

Since the establishment of the Institute,it has been shown that SAIOH is acredible organisation, by both local andinternational standards, and one thatcontinues to contribute sustainably tothe development and growth of the

SAIOH has had a busy time since thelast issue of theJournal was published,particularly in terms of collaborationactivities that are incorporated into theSAIOH Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with the SouthAfrican Department of Labour (DoL).To this end, SAIOH was asked by theDoL to review and provide professionalinputs for the proposed DraftErgonomics Regulations which hadbeen issued for public comment until27 April 2017.

SAIOH is grateful to all members whoprovided comments on the DraftRegulations, and is especially indebtedto two members - Garth Hunter andSean Chester - who selflessly andwillingly went to great lengths, takingmuch effort and personal time, toprovide their technical expertise in theform of an extensive review of the DraftRegulations, as well as the collation ofcomments received from other SAIOHmembers. In the true spirit ofcollaboration, SAIOH partnered withthe South African Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health(Saiosh) and, together, the twoorganisations drafted and submitted acomposite review report which hadfinal oversight from both SAIOH andSaiosh Council members, beforesubmission to the DoL. Collectively,SAIOH and Saiosh represent morethan 10 000 registered occupationalhealth, safety and hygiene professionals.

In summary, both SAIOH and Saioshare supportive of additional control ofphysical ergonomic risk in the SouthAfrican workplace. It is also noted that,through the drafting of ergonomicregulations, the DoL can becongratulated for taking a bold andpositive step forward to achieve controlof ergonomic risks. Nevertheless, thecombined review of the draft DoLdocument has suggested that a moresubtle approach should be taken. Thereport includes recommendations forchanges to the current draft regulationsfor the DoL to consider, particularly interms of the references made to"Ergonomics Risk Assessment","Ergonomics Programme","Ergonomics Risk Factors" and


by using peers as sounding boards, andvery often forging knowledgeablefriendships along the way.

Through these network andmentorship opportunities, mostSAIOH members have met andbefriended top achievers across variousareas of expertise in the occupationalhygiene profession.

Job opportunities and industryrecognition

The number of university graduates hasincreased considerably, as moreuniversities and other tertiary educationinstitutions develop and offeroccupational hygiene-related coursesand/or degrees.

Other study fields have been known touse the scarcity of certified occupationalhygienists to their advantage. TheMine Health and Safety Council(MHSC) convened a recent meeting toaddress the issue of engineeringgraduates who find it difficult to secureemployment due to the currenteconomic climate. Many environmentalhealth students are struggling to findplacements in the public sector to carryout their community service workwhich is a pre-requisite for thecompletion of their studies. It isbecoming increasingly difficult forgraduates to find employment oncethey leave university. In the midst ofthese challenges, it is interesting to notethat many companies use professionalregistration status as a means to shortlist candidates for posts, and studentsregistered with SAIOH have beenknown to seize these job opportunities,even at entry level where it is knownthat job opportunities are especiallylimited.

A professional certification withSAIOH provides a special benefit interms of increasing chances ofemployment.

Contributors: Kenneth Hlungwane, SAIOH President2017 - [email protected] Khoza, SAIOH Council MemberPortfolio: Branches - [email protected] Nogueira, SAIOH CouncilMember - [email protected]

•

members' knowledge to ensure theycan be certified to practise occupationalhygiene.

John Fletcher stated, "deeds, not wordsshall speak". Consequently, a goodworking knowledge of the occupationalhygiene discipline is the best multi-purpose tool we have to certify us,market us, protect the profession and,in turn, protect SAIOH.

Remuneration

In most companies, registeredmembers are recognised andremunerated as per their individualregistration or certification categories.This process recognises individuals’qualifications and levels of experience.

In defining “occupational hygiene”, weoften see words like “Art and scienceof…” - one needs not only the sciencebut also the art of practisingoccupational hygiene.

There have been countless argumentsand debates amongst practitioners whobelieve they should be handedoccupational hygienist registrationstatus without first being subjected toexamination. One of the reasons is thatthe examination process tests both thescience and the art required for thepractice of occupational hygiene:education provides the science, andexperience will provide the art.

The registration categories are well-recognised during the certificationprocess and, as a result, the registeredoccupational hygiene assistant(ROHA), the registered occupationalhygiene technologist (ROHT), and theregistered occupational hygienist(ROH), are remunerated in accordancewith their registration level.

Enhancement of knowledge

SAIOH provides wide access toresourceful information such as casestudies, presentations, regulatoryupdates, white papers and articleswritten by experts in many areas ofinterest in the broad field ofoccupational hygiene.

As part of their SAIOH membershipannual fees, members are afforded theadded benefit of access to publicationssuch as the Occupational Health SouthernAfrica journal (electronic and printversions), the National Safety magazine(electronic version), as well as

newsletters issued at individual branchlevel.

SAIOH organises numerous eventsthroughout the year that allowmembers to learn from their peers, aswell as from local and internationalexperts, in the form of annual scientificconferences, branch and discussiongroup meetings, and workshops. Atthese events, members are requested toshare ideas, volunteer to be speakers, orbecome members of organisingcommittees and/or other subgroups,such as technical committees.

Being part of these associations andactively participating in such eventsand learning opportunities can onlybenefit members by exposing them tonew ideas and knowledge updatesacross various interest areas, bestpractices, professional networking, andcollaboration platforms, andbrainstorming with peers practising inthe occupational hygiene field.

The added benefit is that members arerewarded for their participation in suchlearning events by being awardedpoints towards the fulfilment of theirContinuous Professional Development(CPD) requirements.

Members are reminded that, as part ofthe ongoing certification process, theyare required to keep their PersonalLearning Portfolios (PLPs) current andup-to-date.

Networking and mentorship

In any career, creating and sustainingprofessional relationships are veryimportant processes; by joining SAIOHbranch and discussion groups,members are presented with the bestplatforms for networking. Theseplatforms can be used by members tosupport and help each another inattaining professional ambitions.

During the annual scientificconferences members haveopportunities to network with theirpeers, as well as with local andinternational experts. Members aregiven ample opportunity to identifymentors in line with their professionalneeds, but the greatest benefit, andperhaps reward, is the opportunity for amember to volunteer to be a mentor.Member participation in chat groups ordiscussion boards organised by thevarious SAIOH structures is also anideal way to grow member networks,


To be continued July/AugustNational Safety

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After ten years at the helm of thisexciting and expanding association, Ihave decided that it was time to stepdown and to provide the young bloodwith an opportunity to captain theACHASM ship. So, as from thebeginning of March 2017, my goodfriend and very capable and esteemedcolleague, Marius Eppenberger hastaken to the helm.

In closing this chapter in my career, Iwould like to reflect in brief whatACHASM has managed to achieveover the past ten years, since our officialinception back in 2006.

I cannot say that it has been plainsailing for all in our industry, as therehave been many up and downs, withthe biggest struggle being the arduousongoing task of changing the mind-setsof the industry stakeholders regardingthe critical importance of health andsafety in the South African constructionindustry. However, I have beenfortunate enough to have experiencedmany positives within my reign asACHASM chairman and I would justlike to briefly highlight a few of them:

1. The decision amongst the foundingmembers to establish the Associationof Construction Health and SafetyManagement in 2006, in providing avoice and platform for all thosepractising within the constructionhealth and safety profession, underthe Construction Regulations (2003)at that time.

2. ACHASM joining the BuiltEnvironment Professions Grouping(BEP) in 2008/9 as the builtenvironment representative forConstruction Health and Safety inthis voluntary group of council

recognised practising professions.

This grouping was established todiscuss important local andinternational construction issues andto work as a collective in dealing withcritical built environmentprofessional matters.

3. ACHASM being requested byPROCSA (Professional ConsultantsServices Agreement Committee) toassist this built environmentprofessional grouping in developingthe then services and deliverables ofthe Construction Health and SafetyConsultant off the back of theConstruction Regulations (2003) andthe potential ConstructionRegulations update.

The final product was a professionalClient/CH&S Consultant agreementto be used by client/employer bodieswithin the infrastructuredevelopment and constructionindustry in South Africa.

4. In 2010/11, the request forACHASM to be a strategic memberof the newly establishedOccupational Health and Safety TaskTeam at the SACPCMP (SouthAfrican Council for the ConstructionProject and ConstructionManagement Professions).

This project task team was set-up toestablish the scope of services for thefuture registration of the threeidentified construction health andsafety practitioners being: theProfessional Construction Health andSafety Agent; Construction Healthand Safety Manager; andConstruction Health and SafetyOfficer.

The first category for registration wasopened in June 2013 and was for theProfessional Construction Health andSafety Agent, with the other twocategories for registration followingshortly thereafter.

5. ACHASM being asked to join theCIDB Stakeholder Forum in 2012 to

provide a voice and offer guidance forthe South African construction healthand safety practicing fraternity.

6. ACHASM having delivered anumber of very successful andimpactful one and two-dayconferences on a national basis overthe past eight years.

7. ACHASM having recently beenrecognised as a voluntary associationby the SACPCMP, with having fiftyor more SACPCMP registeredpractitioners as members.

Although I am stepping down aschairman, I will however remain on theACHASM Executive Board as adirector, where I can hopefully still addsome value and guidance in the comingyears.

As an outgoing message, I would justlike to say that ACHASM as acollective membership, must not losesight of our initial objectives and goalsset and that we must all strive touphold and improve our profession inthe years to come.

I am very confident that MariusEppenberger will drive ACHASM andthe profession to its rightful place in theindustry and to be equals inprofessional standing as other builtenvironment professions.

Bon Voyage and to True North sailing!

Outgoing chairman’s report

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY ACHASM

ACHASM Email: [email protected] Cell: 076 263 0549

Anton KrauseOutgoing ACHASM Chairman


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A-OSH 2017

A-OSH stand winnersThe quality of exhibition stands at the seventh A-OSHEXPO - Africa’s occupational safety and health exhibition -from 30, 31 May and 1 June at the Gallagher ConventionCentre were excellent.

Joshua Low, event director for A-OSH EXPO expressedgratitude to the 80 exhibitors that showed greatcommitment to this year’s expo at the show awards functionon 1st June.

Joshua also thanked the events’ sponsors, which includedBBF Safety Group, Dromex, Health|Insite, PASMA, Anselland Select PPE, media partners, and supporting associations.

The exhibitor awards were independently judged and theevent took place at the Gallagher Grill, where Low andZelda Jordaan, exhibition manager, handed out 2017exhibitor awards for the following categories – stands of12m2 or less, 15 to 18m2, and stands larger than 21m2.

Exhibitors acknowledged included:

Stands of 12m2: winner – Astutisrunner-up – Phoenix Health and Safety.

Stands of 15 to 18 m2: winner – Skills Resource Group,runner-up – Pienaar Bros.

Stands of 21 m2 and larger: winner (for the second yearrunning) 3M South Africarunner-up Dromex.

“Congratulations to all of our winners, your support of A-OSH EXPO 2017 was outstanding and contributed towhat has been an exceptionally successful show,” Low said.

Zelda Jordaan handing the stand winner - 21 m2 and largerstands - trophy to Jaco Combrinck 3M

Dromex stand,runner-up - 21 m2

and larger

Queues waiting to register Every presentation at the Noshebo theatre was well-attended

Welcome to A-OSH 2017

Visitors wandering the aisles at A-OSH


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