Wanda Lodi on Health Safety Plans & Safety Files

What is a Health and Safety Plan?

A Health and Safety Plan is a document that is part of the Health and Safety File and can be considered as an executive summary of a “business plan” for Health and Safety management on a site.

A Health Safety Plan is developed according to the Health and Safety specifications provided by the client. Also it is documentary proof of compliance with the Regulation 5(4) of the Construction Regulations which forms part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of South Africa.

Who should compile a Health Safety Plan?

According to the Construction Regulations section 5(1), a Principal Contractor shall provide and demonstrate to the client a suitable and sufficiently documented Health and Safety Plan, based on the client’s documented Health and Safety specifications contemplated in regulation section 4(1)(a).

The above section relates to the requirements for the Principal Contractor. Then the Construction Regulations states under section 5(4) the requirements for a contractor – A contractor shall provide and demonstrate to the Principal Contractor a suitable and sufficiently documented Health Safety Plan, based on the relevant section of the principal contractor’s Health and Safety specification.

So, it must be clear that the Construction Regulations’ requirements must be addressed by both Principal Contractors and contractors (sub-contractors).

What should be covered in the Safety Plan?

In a Health and Safety Plan, the following aspects are looked at and proof of is kept in the Safety File:

1. Notification to the Provincial Director (Annexure A document) which is a requirement under Section 3 of the Construction Regulation.
2. Appointments under the Construction Regulations:
   1. Appointment of contractors [Section 5(3)(b)]
   2. Appointment of construction supervisors [Section 6(1)]
   3. Appointment of assistant construction supervisors [Section 6(2)]
   4. Appointment of construction Safety officers [Section 6(6)]
   5. Appointment of Risk Assessor [Section 7(1)]
   6. Appointment of formwork and support work supervisor [Section 10(a)]
   7. Appointment of excavation work supervisor [Section 11(1)]
   8. Appointment of demolition work supervisor [Section 12(1)]
   9. Appointment of scaffolding supervisor [Section 14(2)]
   10. Appointment of stacking and storage supervisor[Section 26(a)]
   11. Appointments of internal auditors and external auditors [Section 5(3)(c)]
   12. And also all other appointments required according to the Safety Specification of the client.
3. Registers of Skills Training and Safety Induction and the course outlines.
4. Assessment records of Personal Protective Equipment required for construction.
5. Register of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and weekly inspection records of Personal Protective Equipment.
6. Public and Environmental issues in connection with the workplace:
   • Traffic Management Plan
   • Emergency Plan
   • Pedestrian and Vehicle Traffic Accommodation Plan
   • Environmental Scoping document for construction
   • Environmental Impact Assessment records for construction
   • Environmental Management Plan for construction
   • Protocols to minimise dust nuisance
   • Protocols to minimise noise nuisance
   • Records of decisions for construction work
   • Records of decisions for storage of diesel on site
   • Records of decisions for storage of chemicals on-site
7. Registers of Plant and Equipment used for construction.
8. Registers of Approved Operators and copies of certificates of training for all operators.
9. Records of the daily inspections for Plant and Equipment for construction.
10. Letter of Good Standing with the Compensation Fund.
11. Copies of Method Statements necessary in terms of the Construction Regulations:
    • Overall Method Statement
    • Trench excavations
    • Trench backfilling
    • Bulk excavations
    • Bulk backfilling
    • Pipe, duct or cable laying
    • Testing of pressure pipelines
    • Electrical work
    • Structural concrete
    • Concrete paving
    • Block paving
    • Formwork
    • Demolitions
    • Scaffold work
    • Suspended scaffold and boatswain chairs
    • Structural brickwork
    • Site housekeeping
12. Register of Risk Assessments conducted on the site and copies of the Risk Assessment conducted.
13. Register of Incidents, First Aid Injuries and Reportable Injuries that occur on the site.
14. Register of warnings issued for unsafe working practices (Not complying to Personal Protective Equipment, negligence, drunkenness, etc)
15. Copies of Incident Investigation reports conducted on the construction site.
16. Copies of reports to the Provincial Director for reportable injuries occurring on the Construction Site.
17. Register of Daily Safety Reports and copies of the safety reports conducted on the construction site.
18. Register of Safety Audits and copies of the safety audits conducted on the construction site.

The information provided is an example of the contents of the Health Safety Plan but it will also be in accordance to the Health and Safety specifications given by the client. Your Safety Plan and Safety File will thus depend on the information provided by the client in order to comply with the Health and Safety specifications.

How to compile a Health Safety Plan & Safety File

Wanda Lodi leads a regular 3-day workshop designed to inform participants about Health and Safety Plans and Safety Files. Please click on the link to learn more about his “How to Develop A Health and Safety Plan Workshop”.

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