GEORGE NEWS - After receiving several enquiries from people concerned about the health and safety issues and fatalities on construction sites in the Garden Route, it appears that some construction companies are not adhering to the health and safety regulations as set out in the Construction Regulations, 2014.

A man died when he fell off a ladder on a construction site in a prime estate in George last month. He was allegedly not wearing a hard hat or a harness at the time of the incident.

According to George police communications officer Capt Nolonwabu Tshengu, the man allegedly lost his footing and fell, hitting his head on some scaffolding. He died on the scene.

Earlier this year, another man died on a construction site in George. It is believed the deceased was passing on bricks to bricklayers while standing on scaffolding when he fell. The owner of the construction company told the George Herald at the time that the man had died of a heart attack before he fell.

According to the source, some contractors, as well as safety consultants, who should be registered with the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP), are failing dismally when it comes to the safety of their employees or clients.

"Many do not comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993, and the Construction Regulations, 2014. They don't supply their employees with the correct protective clothing and gear like harnesses and hard hats," he said.

"Often harnesses are not properly attached to safety lines. Unsafe scaffolding that is not erected in terms of Sans 10085 is also a cause for concern.

"If contractors don't want the protective clothing to leave the building site, it should be handed in every day and stored in a container before their employees go home."

According to Makhosonke Buthelezi, acting spokesperson for the Department of Employment and Labour (Del), the construction company has to induct all their workers on the necessary health and safety issues.

They have to provide protective clothing and a health and safety officer must be on site to ensure compliance with health and safety policies and procedures.

"The company would normally have health and safety processes and procedures in place and that will spell out what's to happen in cases of an accident," he says.

Enquiries regarding the two fatalities on construction sites in George were sent to various parties, but by the time of going print no information had been received. George Herald will follow up on these cases.

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Safety is everybody's duty

• According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, it is the client's duty to provide health and safety specifications that will be used in tenders so that the appointed principal contractors compile their health and safety plans, which must be implemented and complied with during construction.

• The designer, after receiving the client's specifications, is to ensure that the applicable safety standards are built into the designs and plan. These must be kept on site at all times and made available to all relevant persons upon request.

• Each contractor must compile a risk assessment which must form part of the health and safety file and all of his employees, as well as others who have access to the site, must be made aware of such hazards before being allowed on site.

• All personnel must be trained in accordance with the plan before they are allowed on site and necessary care must be taken by the relevant competent persons when working at heights, with heavy or dangerous machinery or with flammable or hazardous materials.

• Adequate supervision and monitoring of contractors must be present on sites at all times. This must be the responsibility of the appointed construction manager, who must only manage one site as per his appointment.

Read more about this Act here.

Many employees are not wearing the correct safety shoes.

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