The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) says Health and Safety representatives should be knowledgeable and alert about conditions that pose a risk to the lives of employees in the workplace.

Earlier this week the department held a workshop training on the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases and Occupational Health and Safety for shop stewards in Lephalale, Limpopo.

Senior Specialist: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the DEL, Jakes Malatse, told the workshop that a health and safety representative should be a full-time employee who is aware of the hazards in the workplace.

“When you appoint people to those positions you want someone who is astute and well versed with the regulations governing a particular industry.

“Such people will be better equipped to represent and protect workers. It defeats the purpose of health and safety if you appoint people who are not well versed with the regulations governing the sector,’’ he said.

Malatse said the department expects shop stewards to be trainers of trainers.

He said such people have to access information at their fingertips relating to incidents in the workplace pertaining to injuries – diseases or deaths.

He said the key responsibility of health and safety shop stewards is to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Department in ensuring that workers and communities are protected from dangers emanating from site.

“Their key responsibility is health and safety not production. If a health and safety representative is being victimised for doing his/her work diligently, the case should be reported to the nearest Labour Centre,” he said.

Stephen Mokgethi, OHS principal inspector: Mechanical engineering outlined the functions of Health and Safety representative as follows:

• Review of the effectiveness of health and safety measures;

• Identify potential hazards and major incidents at the workplace;

• Examine the causes of incidents at the workplace; and

• Investigate complaints by any employee relating to the employee’s health or safety at work.

Mokgethi said the employer had a duty to report incidents to the Department especially if someone has been killed, suffered serious injuries or illness that keeps them away from work longer than 14 days.

He said the role of health and safety representatives in protecting workers and neighbouring communities was vital.

Mokgethi said for effective health and safety to occur, it was vital for collective ownership of responsibilities as is co-operation between employers and employee representatives.

The workshop training sessions are currently being conducted in several parts of the country.

Source: South African Government News Agency