The Department of Labour’s (DoL) Compensation Fund (CF) paid more than R194 million in claims for incidences sustained in the high risk sectors of iron and steel in the 2011/12 financial year, resources that could have been diverted to job creation initiatives, said the department’s DoL director of Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) Jacob Malatse today, 27 March.
Malatse told a conference that coincided with the signing of Iron and Steel Accord in Boksburg’s Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre that proper compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) drives the economy. Malatse told delegates that if these claims were to be reduced more jobs could be created in South Africa.
The Iron and Steel Accord commits all social partners to prevention of risks related to occupational injuries and diseases and promote occupational health and safety and promote a meaningful social dialogue in occupational health.
“In the last four years an average of R260-million had been paid for incidences sustained in the iron and steel sectors. If we deal with all OHS matters in our organisations, we will address the many variables and equations lacking in the economy,” Malatse said.
Statistics by Department of Labour from CF showed that in the financial year 2008/09 more than R263-million was paid for workplace incidents; while in 2009/10 an amount of more than R265-million was paid in claims followed in 2010/11 by claims valued at R321 115 666 32.
Malatse said the rise in claims as demonstrated by a rising pattern in the last four preceding years necessitated an immediate intervention.
“The rise in incidences and fatalities was becoming a nightmare for Compensation Fund,” he said the department had to embark on a number of interventions which included stepping up blitz inspections, OHS awareness, and conducting regular seminars amongst others.
He said to add to this work, the OHS Act was also currently undergoing a review. He said the new act, once amended would be given a bite and empower inspectors through the imposition of stiff fines.
“Those that do not want to cooperate will spend sleepless nights, but those that co-operate will sleep like babies,” he emphasised!
In the 2011/12 year the Department of Labour’s IES Branch conducted a total of 1058 inspections in the iron and steel sectors. It found that 522 employers complied with legislation. The blitz(es) focused in the high iron and steel concentrated industries such as the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng Province, Mpumalanga, North West and the Eastern Cape.
The blitz found that Gauteng and the Eastern Cape-based industries were the least non-complying culprits when it comes to compliance with OHS Act.
The iron and steel sector together with chemical; transport; agriculture and forestry; building and construction; plus foods, drink and tobacco industries – are some of the key sector that have been identified by the Department of Labour’s Inspection and Enforcement Services Unit as high risk sectors for injury that will receive special attention.
DoL’s IES’s Chief Director: Statutory & Advocacy Services Virgil Seafield said the management of safety and health in the workplace should be made a norm. Seafield said the department would not have enough inspectors to inspect each and every factory floor as this would cost considerable resources to the fiscus.
“There has to be a realisation that voluntary compliance in the enforcement of safety regime is of paramount importance. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure compliance with OHS. Compliance with OHS will ensure a viable economic growth, and stimulate an enabling economic environment for job creation,” Seafield said.
