ROLE OF AIA’s IN PROMOTING & ENSURING A HEALTHY WORKFORCE ME Ruiters Director: Occupational Health and Hygiene

IES Programme Overview Mandate of DoL Aim for the regulation of the labour market, reduction of unemployment, poverty and inequality through a set of policies and programs developed in consultation with our social partners. These policies and programes are aimed at: Improving economic efficiency and productivity, employment creation, sound labour relations, eliminating inequality and discrimination in the workplace, alleviating poverty in employment, enhancing occupational health and safety awareness and improve compliance in the workplace, as well nurturing the culture of acceptance that “worker’s rights are human rights”.

DoL’s Vision Is to strive for a labour market conducive for Investment, Economic Growth, Employment Creation and decent work

Mission Regulate the labour market for sustainable economy through: Appropriate legislation and regulation Inspection, compliance monitoring and enforcement Protection of human rights Provision of employment services Promoting equity Social and income protection Promoting social dialogues

Title of the OHS act To provide for the health and safety of persons at work and for the heath and safety of persons in connection with the use of plant and machinery; the protection of person other than persons at work against hazards to health and safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work; to establish an advisory council for occupational health and safety and to provide for matters connected therewith.

Duty of employers Section 8 of the OHS Act place the onus on employers to ensure that the working environment is safe and without risks to the health of their employees. In order to accomplish this, employers must through the services of a competent person assess the exposure of their employees to hazardous environmental conditions in the workplace.

Definition of an AIA? The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993), defines an Approved Inspection Authority as: An inspection authority approved by the Chief Inspector: Provided that an inspection authority approved by the Chief Inspector with respect to any particular service shall be be an approved inspection authority with respect to that service only

Definition: Occupational Hygiene AIA According to the OH AIA brochure an AIA are defined as : “any person who with the aid of specialised knowledge or equipment or after such investigations, tests, sampling or analyses as he may consider necessary, and whether for reward or otherwise, renders a service by making special findings, purporting to be objective findings, as to - the exposure of any person; the safety or risk to health of any work, article, substance, plant or machinery, or any condition prevalent on or in any premises; or the question of whether any particular legislated standard has been or is being complied with, with respect to any work, article, substance, plant or machinery, or with respect to work or a condition prevalent on or in any premises or with respect to any other matter, and by issuing a certificate, stating such findings, to the person to whom the service is rendered.”

Role the AIA AIA’s are approved by the Department of Labour for compliance monitoring of specific stressors. AIA’s are thus performing functions as mandated by DoL and are rendering this function on behalf of DOL

Importance of interaction Improved compliance with OHH standards and legislation requires: A team effort which entails an interaction between DOL (OHH Directorate and Inspectorate) and AIA’S OHH professional bodies This will lead to the early detection of hazardous conditions can significantly decrease the occurrence of adverse health effects, by reducing risks and therefore reducing occupational diseases

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