TRAINING · LEGAL & MANAGEMENT · 5 DAYS
Occupational Health and Safety Act training (5 days)
This is our in-depth course on the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (the OHS Act) for safety officers. Over five days, delegates work through the Act section by section, then the regulations that sit under it, so they can run compliance in your business with confidence. We present this OHS Act training in Cape Town for groups from your business.
- Duration
- 5 days
- Prerequisites
- Literate
- Delivery
- On-site at your workplace
Who should attendSafety officers and people preparing for a safety officer role
Download course outline (PDF)Why safety officers need more than a summary
The OHS Act puts one main duty on the employer: find the hazards in your workplace before they cause harm, and put controls in place to remove or reduce the risk. In practice, that means a clear, maintained health and safety plan that someone in the business actually owns.
That someone is usually the safety officer. A one-day overview tells them the Act exists. This course teaches them how it works: who is accountable, which appointments are required, how the regulations add detail, and how risk assessments connect it all.
If you only need a short awareness session for staff, see Introduction to the OHS Act. This five-day course is for the person who will be answering the inspector's questions.
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain their own responsibility and accountability under the OHS Act
- Describe how the Act, its regulations and the wider South African legal system fit together
- Identify which legal appointments your business needs, and why
- Explain the separate duties of employers and employees
- Link the requirements of the Act to your risk assessments
- Find and apply the incorporated regulations that are relevant to your site
Course modules
- Sections of the OHS Act, part 1. Compliance needs and requirements, due diligence, responsibility versus accountability, and legal appointments.
- Sections of the OHS Act, part 2. Employer duties (section 8), employee duties (section 14), and how the Act relates to risk assessments.
- Incorporated regulations overview. How a regulation differs from the Act, then the main groups: general, electrical, mechanical and health regulations.
Who should attend
- Appointed safety officers
- SHEQ (safety, health, environment and quality) coordinators moving into a safety officer role
- Health and safety managers who want a structured refresher on the Act
- Supervisors being developed into a full-time safety function
Delegates must be able to read and write comfortably. The course is classroom-based with practical exercises on real workplace scenarios.
What delegates get
Each delegate who completes the course receives a BMS Holdings certificate of attendance, plus course notes they can keep as a working reference for the Act.
The law behind the courseThe Acts and regulations behind this service
| Law | Section | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Section 8 | The employer must provide and maintain, as far as reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to employees' health |
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Section 14 | Employees must take reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety, and co-operate with the employer |
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Section 16 | The chief executive officer is accountable for the employer's duties and may assign duties to others in writing |
What is the difference between this course and Introduction to the OHS Act?
This five-day course is for safety officers who must apply the Act every day, while the introduction is a one-day awareness course for general staff and supervisors. The longer course covers the sections in depth, legal appointments and the incorporated regulations, and links them to your risk assessments.
Does the OHS Act require a safety officer?
The OHS Act does not use the title "safety officer" for most workplaces, but it does require the employer to manage health and safety, and the CEO may assign those duties in writing under section 16(2). Many businesses give that assigned role to a safety officer, which is why this course focuses on the duties behind the title.
Can you run the course at our premises?
Yes, we can run the course at your premises for a group of your employees. Training on site lets us use your own procedures and examples, which makes the material easier to apply afterwards.
Get in touch
Book this course
Tell us how many delegates you have and when suits you. We'll confirm dates and price in writing, and run the course at your premises.
- Phone064 549 5312
- Emailinfo@bmsholdings.co.za
- AddressThe Colosseum, First Floor, Century Way, Century City, Cape Town, 7441