Occupational Health and Safety in South Africa: Duties, Risk and Compliance
A practical course on South Africa’s OHS Act, regulations and COIDA for SHE practitioners, reps, managers, owners and contractors: duties, risk control, construction, incidents and compliance.
Enrol in this Course
- 📦 5 modules
- 📹 20 lessons
- 📝 5 quizzes
- 🎓 Certificate on completion
- ♾ Learn at your own pace, online
Every year, South African workplaces lose people, time and money to injuries and illnesses that could have been prevented. This course shows you how occupational health and safety works under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, its regulations and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, and how to turn those duties into a practical system that keeps people safe and keeps your business compliant.
It is written for SHE officers and practitioners, health and safety representatives and committee members, managers and supervisors, HR staff, CEOs and business owners, and contractors and the clients who appoint them. Examples are set in South African factories, warehouses, construction sites, shops, hospitals, farms and offices.
The course teaches principles that do not change: the duty to keep work safe so far as reasonably practicable, finding hazards and controlling risk, consulting workers, competence and supervision, duties that cannot be contracted away, and learning from incidents. Ratios, time limits, exposure limits, fines and assessment figures are shown as 2026 examples of the law at the time and are expected to change, so always confirm the current position with the Department of Employment and Labour, the Compensation Fund or the Government Gazette.
What you will learn
- How the OHS Act, its regulations and incorporated standards fit together, and who enforces them
- The duties of employers, CEOs, managers, employees, suppliers and contractors, and how personal liability works
- How to set up health and safety representatives, committees and legal appointments
- How to assess risk and apply the hierarchy of controls to machinery, electricity, work at height, chemicals, noise and ergonomics
- How to manage contractors and meet the Construction Regulations as a client or contractor
- How to handle medical surveillance, vulnerable workers, emergencies and first aid
- How to report and investigate incidents, meet COIDA duties and handle an inspection
- How to build an OSH compliance programme and calendar
How the course works
There are five modules, each with four lessons and a short quiz. You need 70% on each quiz to complete the course and earn your certificate.
Course Curriculum
5 modules · 20 lessons · 5 quizzes · 1 free preview
Module 1: Foundations of Workplace Health and Safety
- 1.1 How Occupational Health and Safety Works in South Africa (Start Here) Free preview
- 1.2 The Legal Framework and the Regulators
- 1.3 Duties of Employers, Employees and Others
- 1.4 Accountability: CEOs, Assignees and Mandataries
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Module 1 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 2: Organising for Safety
- 2.1 Safety Policy and Management Systems (Start Here)
- 2.2 Health and Safety Representatives
- 2.3 Health and Safety Committees
- 2.4 Legal Appointments, Competence and Training
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Module 2 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 3: Managing Risk
- 3.1 Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (Start Here)
- 3.2 The Hierarchy of Controls and PPE
- 3.3 Chemicals, Noise and Ergonomics
- 3.4 Machinery, Electricity, Work at Height and Facilities
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Module 3 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 4: Special Situations
- 4.1 Contractors and Construction Work (Start Here)
- 4.2 Health Surveillance and Vulnerable Workers
- 4.3 Emergencies, Fire and First Aid
- 4.4 Inspections, Audits and Records
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Module 4 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 5: Incidents, Compensation and Enforcement
- 5.1 Incident Reporting and Investigation (Start Here)
- 5.2 Compensation for Injuries and Diseases (COIDA)
- 5.3 Inspectors, Enforcement and Penalties
- 5.4 Building an OSH Compliance Programme and Calendar
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Module 5 Quiz Enrol to take