Department of Labour enters into a training programme to advance the inspectorate’s specialisation
In a quest to advance the specialisation of its inspectorate and strengthen its enforcement expertise, the Department of Labour will next month conduct a two-week intensive training programme in the field of explosives.
The Department of Labour will conduct the training initiative in partnership with various organisations with a vested interest in the explosives sector.
Rudzani Ramabulana, a Specialist: Explosives, at Department of Labour, said the programme was part of a partnership designed to help empower specialist inspectors in the explosives environment. Ramabulana said the initiatives stands to benefit 18 inspectors, two from each of nine provinces.
In terms of the training programme, inspectors will be taken through an intensive theory module and a practical exercise which will also include plant tours and demonstrations.
The training programme will start on 17 November 2014 and ends on 28 November 2014. The training will be run at different venues located in four provinces in the Republic of South Africa, which includes: Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the North West. The training programme will be held on working days from 9h00 to 16h00.
The training will focus on subjects such as: commercial explosives properties and explosives demonstration, test range exposure; explosives research; accident investigation; explosive licensing; emulsion; ammunition screening; introduction to secondary explosives, propellant and ammunition.
Partners in the training programme includes: African Explosives Limited, Pretoria Metal Processing, the SAPS, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Sasol, Ekundustria, Bulk Mining Explosives, Denel, and the SA National Accreditation System.
Ramabulana said the training will be conducted by experts from the department and the partner institutions.
“We want to ensure that by the time the programme is over, inspectors are knowledgeable and empowered to conduct thorough inspections or when conducting blitz or investigating an incident in the explosives environments.
“A training programme is an ideal ingredient to empower inspectors to enforce the occupational health and safety (OHS) Act in the workplace and advance the zero harm goal,” he said.
Enquries:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
E-mail: Mokgadi.pela@labour.gov.za
