The state of construction safety and health education at higher education institutions in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The Occupational Health and Safely Act (OHSA) 85 of 1993 requires all employers in South Africa to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of their employees. Additionally, OHSA requires employ­ers to provide such information, instructions, training and supervision as may be necessary to ensure the health and safely at work of their workers. Several studies have confirmed a well-established link between safely training and the perform­ance of companies. High performing organizations were found to invest a larger percentage of payroll costs in training compared to the recommended industry norm. Construction related programs at universities and technikons produce graduates who either take up managerial and supervisory positions within con­struction firms or establish their own construction companies. The pivotal role of management in driving and promoting safely within their organizations is well documented. In order to comply with the requirements of OHSA these graduates need to be able to recognize, avoid and prevent unsafe conditions on the con­struction sites that they will be involved with. This article gives an insight into the findings and exploratory studies of safety and health education at higher educa­tional institutions in the Western Cape province of South Africa as well as the views of students on construction safely. Preliminary results suggest that construction related programs do not adequately prepare students to be able to ensure the safely and health of workers on construction sites. Courses make scant reference to the provisions of OHSA and responsibility for worker safety.