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MNO2603 Assessment 4
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MNO2603 Assessment 4
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MNO2603Safety Management IIA
ASSESSMENT 4
, SECTION B: QUESTIONS
Read through the article below and use the information along with your study guide and the applicable
chapters in your prescribed book to answer the questions. Remember to reference all the sources you
consult, even if it is the article, your study guide or your prescribed textbook.
New regulations aim to make work life safer and more comfortable for South African employees
The Department of Labour has launched new ergonomic regulations which aim to prevent
occupational diseases and injuries relating to ergonomic hazards in South African workplaces.
Ergonomics is the study of how humans interact with man-made objects. The goal of ergonomics is to
create an environment that is well-suited to a user’s physical needs – which subsequently affects things
like morale and performance, and reduces chances of injury or harm. South Africa’s new regulations
around this concept will require employers to implement a programme to control the exposure of
employees – and other people affected by their actions – to ergonomic hazards. The department’s
definition of ergonomic risks is quite broad, saying it is “a characteristic or action in the workplace,
work place conditions, or a combination thereof that may impair overall system performance and
human well-being”. Some ergonomic risks in the workplace that have been identified by safety
regulation specialists include: Heavy lifting; Repetitive, strenuous or awkward movements; Improperly
adjusted workstations and chairs; Driving for long periods without break. According to Labour minister
Thulas Nxesi, the new regulations are not a stand-alone programme, but rather another aspect to be
incorporated into the employer’s already existing health and safety programmes. “The regulations also
place duties on designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers. This aims to eliminate, or reduce,
ergonomic hazards in the early stages of designing systems and equipment, rather than trying to find
a solution once there is a final product,” he said. Department of Employment and Labour chief
inspector Tibor Szana said most of the accidents in the world of work were caused by failure to adhere
to ergonomics. Szana said the department has in partnership with Rhodes University trained a team
of 30 inspectors to enforce the regulations.
Who do the regulations apply to?
The regulations – which were promulgated in December 2019 – are intended to act as a guide to all
employers, employees and the public, who are concerned with the control and prevention of exposure
to ergonomic risks in the workplace. The Department of Labour said that the regulations will apply to
any employer or self-employed person who carries out work at a workplace, which may expose any
person to ergonomic risks in that workplace; and a designer, manufacturer, importer or supplier of
machinery, plant or work systems for use at a workplace. “They entail details regarding the instruction
and training; the duties of persons who may be at risk of exposure to ergonomic risks; duties of
designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers; ergonomic risk assessment; risk control;
maintenance of controls; medical surveillance; the keeping of records; offences and penalties for
failure to comply,” it said. Nxesi said South Africa was one of the first countries in the world to introduce
this kind of regulation and to champion the thinking that lies behind it. “With the development and
promulgation of the new Regulations, South Africa has become one of the leading countries to regulate
ergonomics and reduce ergonomic hazards in the workplace,” he said. “We can be proud of this. These
regulations are in everyone’s interests – improving working conditions as well as performance.”
Risk assessment
The regulations states that an employer must, before the commencement of any work that may expose
employees to ergonomic risks, have an ergonomic risk assessment performed by a competent person.
This risk assessment must be completed every two years and must include: A complete hazard
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