The South African Department of Employment and Labour’s Specialist Occupational Health and Hygiene, Warren Mallon spoke at the Occupational Health and Safety seminar on May 24.

The seminar focused on the impact of climate change on the country's agricultural sector, shed light on the intersection of climate change and workplace safety, explored emerging risks, and discussed the necessary mitigation strategies as well as adaptation measures to protect workers amidst environmental changes in the sector.

“Direct costs include the increase of compensation, penalties, and fines as well as medical costs. Some costs such as time lost from work by an injured employee(s), cost of training a new employee, damage to tools, equipment, and other property, loss of production, paperwork and administrative time, and many more are indirect or invisible,” Mallon said.

He encouraged employers to consult with employees and employee representatives, review their risk assessment -taking into account new or existing hazards that may be exacerbated, be gender-sensitive, and considerate to young, older adults, disabled, and those with pre-existing conditions.

He discouraged employers from using the “one size fits all” in risk assessment plans, which use one plan for several places. “The risk assessment plan must be specific to each workplace.”

“Employers must also conduct exposure monitoring, to quantify exposures; medical screening and medical surveillance; implement control measures specific to the hazard and the risk of the hazard,” he concluded.

According to Perfect Phinithi, an OHS Specialist in the Department, as a build-up to the seminar, the Department conducted inspections at 52 agricultural workplaces and 30 of them were not compliant with the Act. She said most of the employers failed to provide incident records, investigate incidents, have a trained first aider, train tractor drivers, and conduct risk assessments.