Health and safety training: How to become an OHS officer

If you have ever run a business, or have even worked in a busy office environment, you will be oh so familiar with the various office antics, disputes, relationships, slip-ups and accidents, and just how common these incidents can be. You will also recognise just how important it is to have someone in charge who can manage and oversee all things health and safety related on behalf of the workforce. If you yourself are looking to embark on health and safety training to become a health and safety officer, or if you are looking at promoting one of your employees to become the company health and safety officer, then our quick guide will show you just how to do that.

You can rest assured that you will receive the highest quality health and safety training at Emcare, which is a popular training academy in South Africa. Emcare is your go to choice, offering a range of courses, both in the health and safety training realm and also in the medical realm if you are looking for something extra. All courses offered by Emcare are fully accredited with local accreditation boards and are also delivered by qualified professionals who have years and years of experience in health and safety training industry.

What is a health and safety officer?

This is a very common question, and many people assume that a health and safety officer will have something to do in the medical field, although most health and safety officers will have basic first aid knowledge, they do not have extensive medical knowledge. Instead, the role of a health and safety officer is focused on occupational health and safety (OHS) which relates to health and safety within the workplace.

Generally speaking, a company will appoint one individual in this role and this person will ensure that all employees are assured with a safe working environment. An OHS officer is a full-time job and commitment and requires niche qualifications, and if you are planning on being an OHS officer in the construction industry you will need to be registered with the South African Council for Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP).

What does a health and safety officer do?

When you begin health and safety training at Emcare you will learn that OHS officers complete a range of duties and tasks including making sure that the whole office is abiding by health and safety training rules and regulations, implementing and formulating health and safety plans and policies, conducting risk assessments and safety inspections and managing workplace injuries. The responsibilities of an OHS officer can be separated into three main categories: operations management, facilities management and labour law compliance.

Operations management: The OHS officer should manage, oversee and supervise the workplace and should assist in health and safety training for other employees in the workplace. The individual will also be responsible for mitigating accidents as they occur, and it will be this person’s responsibility to investigate the accident, report it and then address it further. The OHS officer will also assess how facility layout is impacting production or output from the workplace.

Facilities management: The person will also be in charge of managing the health and safety of the actual facilities, by ensuring the removal of potential hazards, ensuring the facilities will not disrupt workflow and proposing suggestions for general or specific workplace solutions and improvements.

Labour law compliance: This part of the role is arguable the most important and is generally the reason that employers will hire an OHS officer, because they need to be on the good side of the law. As an OHS officer, part of your health and safety training will cover the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and what requirements this sets out for a healthy and high functioning working environment. As the OHS officer you will need to ensure that all aspects of the business are in line with the employment legislation regulations and that there are no lawsuits waiting to happen!

What qualifications do you need to be a health and safety officer in South Africa?

If you’re looking at becoming an OHS officer in South Africa it is not as simple as it may seem, and you will need to get thorough health and safety training as well as the correct qualifications to even be considered for a job. The first thing you need to be aware of is that you have to be registered with the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH) in order to be recognised as a professional, and for this you will need an accredited level 5 NQF certificate or equivalent. You will also need some work experience and it is further recommended that you complete a few other courses in the industry to really beef up your expertise and your CV.

Thankfully, Emcare has a variety of health and safety training courses available, including the Safety Officer Course which will set you up on your journey to becoming an OHS officer. This course is ideal for those who are looking to gain employment assisting companies manage their occupational health and safety, and can also be certified by the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH). The course can be completed in 2 weeks and is available at all Emcare branches nationwide, or can also be completed at a location of your choosing if you are enrolling a group of 10 or more individuals. This course covers the following content:

Basic principles of SHE REP:

• Introduction
• Dr. William Haddon’s Theory
• Nomenclature
• Herbert Heinrich Theory
• Frank Bird’s Theory

Occupational health:

• Instruction
• Primary health care
• Occupational medicine
• Occupational hygiene -general
• Occupational hygiene -noise
• Occupational hygiene -chemicals
• Occupational hygiene -Illumination
• Occupational hygiene -ventilation
• Occupational hygiene -thermal stress
• Occupational hygiene -vibration
• The Occupational Health and Safety Act
• Compensation for Occupational injuries Act.

Legislation:

• Introduction
• Basic legal concept and interpretation
• The legislative system in South Africa
• Electrical safety
• Portable gas cylinders

Risk assessment (HIRA):

• Surface symptoms
• Identifying hazards
• Underlying Root Causes
• Analyse Probability and Severity to Determine Risk
• Identify and Analyse Job & Incident Hazardous
• Effective Education and Training
• Controlling Hazards
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Hazardous Evaluation
• Identify Potential Accidents
• Identify Hazard Types

Technical safety:

• Premises and House keeping
• Stacking and Storage
• Hand and Portable Power Tools
• Lifting Equipment
• Ladders
• Scaffolds
• Compressed Aid
• Occupational Hygiene – Ergonomics
• Occupational Hygiene – Personal Protective Equipment
• Occupational Hygiene – Hazardous Biological Agents

Contractor Safety Management:

• Contractor Safety Analysis
• Contractor Safety Policy
• Contractor Qualification Procedure
• Contractor Legal Implications
• Control of Contractors
• Contractor Specific Requirements
• General Safety Procedures
• Safety Policies

Environmental management:

• Industry and the Environment
• Waste Management
• Pollution
• Management of Hazardous Materials
• Measuring, Monitoring and Reporting

Management Systems:

• Management Commitment
• Accountability
• Employee Involvement
• Risk Management
• Incident Investigation
• Education & Training
• Evaluation

Accident Incident Investigation:

• Incidents and Accidents
• Definitions
• Statistics
• Frank Bird Ration
• The Domino Effect
• Lack of Control
• Personal and Job Factors
• Unsafe Acts and Conditions
• Injuries / Damage or Occupational Illness and Business interruptions
• The Six steps of Incidents/Accident investigation
• Recording of Incidents
• Investigation of incident by a person designated there

Health and safety file implementation:

• Documentation
• Implementation
• Inductions
• Risk Assessments
• Tool Box Talks
• Certifications
• Site Requirements
• Practical Implementation
• Notifications
• OHAS ACT
• Mines Health and Safety Act

COID ACT (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Disease Act 130 of 1992)

-Incidents covered by the Act
-Incidents not covered by the Act
-Benefits to Injured employees

As you can see, this course covers an extensive array of health and safety aspects and is the perfect stepping stone to becoming an OHS officer. This course will ensure that you are adequately equipped and prepared to manage the health and safety of a workplace, but if you are looking to gain even more experience and skills then consider one of our more specialised courses such as the Accident Incident Investigation Course (OHS5) or the Risk Assessment course (OHS6). These courses will set you up well and will show an employer that you have a more advanced skill set.

Our Accident Incident Investigation course can even be completed in 1 day, and your certificate will be valid for 2 years! This course is ideal if you are looking to enter a workplace that generally has high risk factors, such as working at heights, and will teach you how to handle these risks. The course covers the following content:

• Introduction to health and safety
• The Constitution
• Legislative history
• The OHS Act 85 of 1993
• Understanding the act and the regulations
• Department of labour/legislation
• Important section of Act 85
• Introduction to incident and accident investigations

• High risk conditions
• Unsafe acts
• Iceberg theory
• Witnesses and gathering information
• Department of labour annexure forms (accidents and diseases)
• Guidelines and controls
• Health and safety committee meetings

How much does a health and safety officer earn in South Africa?

The next question that people often ask when it comes to being an OHS officer is what the salary is, you do need to be able to make a living after-all. The salary however for an OHS officer depends largely on what health and safety training you have and how much experience you have. The average salary that a health and safety officer will make in South Africa is R14 500 per month, or R174000 per annum. The basic starting salary will be at the very least R6 660 per month, and could go up to R23 000 per month (R276000). Although, it is worth mentioning that you are more likely to receive a higher salary if you are hired by a specialized private company than if you are hired at a state facility.

How long is a health and safety course?

A period of time it takes to become an OHS officer depends on the health and safety training course that you do, but should be around two weeks. Anything less than a week will not be a comprehensive enough course for you become an OHS officer and you will need to complete further training and qualifications. If you factor in the time taken to do the safety officer course (2 weeks), an additional course (1 week max) and potentially an internship to gain further experience, you could safely do become an OHS officer in the short period of 2 months!

Where can I study health and safety in South Africa?

There are numerous avenues available if you are looking at health and safety training but the main thing to keep in mind is that you want to train with a provider that is accredited and experience. There is no point doing all of the necessary training and not having a certificate to show for it, which is why all Emcare courses are accredited with local accreditation bodies including CETA and SAIOSH. When it comes to experience, you can rest assured that you are in safe hands at Emcare, as all of our training providers are qualified professionals who have over 1000 hours experience in the industry.