Occupational Hygiene

An occupational health and hygiene survey is conducted to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (No 85 of 1993)

We are dedicated to the Anticipation, Recognition, Evaluation, Communication, and Control of workplace hazards that may result in injury, illness, or impairment of workers and community members. It includes;

• Occupational Health risk assessment and hazard identification assessment
• Occupational Hygiene Monitoring:

Noise Survey

(Noise for hearing conservation purposes is conducted in according to the requirements of the Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Regulations, 2003, of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No. 85 of 1993). The noise survey for hearing conservation purposes is conducted according to the methodology stipulated in SANS 10083:2013)

Airborne pollutants(hazardous Chemical Agents)

Employees’ exposure to hazardous chemical substances is conducted to determine the levels of exposure and compliance with legal limits as contained in the Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations, 1995 of the OHSAct (No 85 of 1993.

Thermal stress

The cold stress survey will be conducted at the premises in accordance with Regulation 2 of the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces of the OHSAct (No 85 of 1993).

Hazardous Biological Agents (Swabs)

The presence of the microorganisms in the ablution facilities and food preparation station (canteen) will be determined using swabs, which shall be analyzed for microbial activity. This will be sent to SANAS accredited facility for analysis.

illumination surveys

illumination survey is conducted on each floor according to the requirements of the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, 2001 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No 85 of 1993). The survey will be conducted and measurements will be according to SANS 10114-1:2005.

Indoor air quality

Indoor air quality surveys will be conducted in accordance with Regulation 5 of the Environmental Regulations of the OHSAct (No 85 of 1993) and the Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations of the OHSAct (No 85 of 1993).

Asbestos Management & Monitoring

Asbestos management and monitoring in accordance with the requirements of the Asbestos Regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (No 85 of 1993). The following steps are followed:

• Conducting Asbestos Handling Training
• Drafting of asbestos work plan/specification and submission to DOL
• Pre-monitoring on-site strategically placed)
• Monitoring on-site in the breathing zone of employees.
• Clearance monitoring on site and issue of clearance certificate after disposal of asbestos at the waste disposal site.

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

Areas, where local exhaust extraction is employed, will require the local exhaust extraction system to be tested and results compared against the legal limits as specified in the General Safety Regulations. This will include monitoring spray booths in production areas, if any, and fume cupboards where laboratories are involved.

This will include monitoring capture velocities by means of a hotwire anemometer and results will be compared against the legal limits and/or ACGIH standards. 

 Ergonomics

An ergonomics survey will be carried out according to ergonomic principles as derived from the Swiss Ergonomist, Ettienne Grandjaen.

As part of the survey, the following ergonomic aspects will be evaluated:

•  Workstation layout
•  Seating
• Operator habits
• Glare and visual acuity
• Manual materials handling, including the lifting of loads.

Hand Arm vibration

A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the hand-arm vibration according to SANS Standard 28927-1-8:2012 will be conducted on employees exposed to vibration.

In this respect, the evaluation of exposure risk to vibration will be based on the guidelines and exposure limits promulgated in the UK “Control of Vibration at Work Regulations, 2005” which incorporate the guidelines as contained in the EU Directive 2002/44/EC on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibrations). These Regulations employ two exposure standards, namely a daily “Exposure Action Value” (EAV), and a daily “Exposure Limit Value” (ELV).

As part of the survey, workers performing grinding activities will be assessed for Hand Arm Vibration.