Spokesperson Wisani Mavasa said in a statement that a team of provincial labour inspectors led by Marsha Bronkhorst visited the Saaiman Boerdery farm on Friday.

The team, which included the Mangaung municipality’s Environmental Health unit and the Human Rights Commission, issued prohibition notices on the use of all sorting and packaging machinery at the farm.

The farmer, who employs about 50 workers, was issued with various notices of the contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. These included notices for not providing proper personal protective equipment to all workers and not having a valid certificate of compliance for electrical installations.

The notices were valid until the farmer conducted proper induction training for workers in using the machines.

All the dangerous machines were safeguarded as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Bronkhorst said: “We are not going to allow situations where an employer puts his profit before the well-being of the workers.”

“In this case it is obvious that the employer has not even tried to put anything in place in the interest of his workers’ health and safety,” she said.

“As the department of labour, we have to demonstrate strong intolerance of each and every employer who refuses to obey the law,” said Bronkhorst.

The labour team also found that the farmer has disregarded the Basic Conditions of the Employment Act’s Sectoral Determination for Farm Workers and was paying his workers salaries less than that stipulated in the legislation.

There were no contracts of employment and copies of pay slips or any other records available at the farm business.

Farm workers also did not have proper sleeping and ablution facilities, and food provided to them “was not of an acceptable standard”.

The farmer was ordered to comply with the legislation within 21 days or face the full might of the law.

Source: Sapa

The last 24 months saw quite a few changes and additions to the OHS Act and Regulations. For instance, the Pressure Equipment Regulations replaced the previous Vessels under Pressure Regulations.

The new Health Safety Act books reflect all these changes.

Every book contains the latest full version of the OHS Act as well as the Regulations.

Here is a list of all the Health and Safety Regulations you will find in the new books:

• Pressure Equipment Regulations
• Electrical Installation Regulations
• Driven Machinery Regulations
• Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations
• Driven Machinery Regulations
• Facilities Regulations
• Construction Regulations
• General Administrative Regulations
• Noise Induced Hearing Loss Regulations
• Major Hazard Installation Regulations
• Asbestos Regulations
• Diving Regulations
• Explosives Regulations
• Hazardous Biological Agent Regulations
• Lead Regulations
• Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulations

You can now order five (5) copies of the Occupational Health and Safety Act with the Regulations for just R912.00. The price includes VAT as well as postage and packaging.

To place your order, please contact Advantage ACT on (012) 809 4210 or sheq@advantageact.co.za