I have often wondered if, when Sir Ernest Oppenheimer started the Safety First Association in 1932 he imagined that 90 years later on it would still be running. The early 1930s was a time that rapid industrialisation was seen in South Africa, but often to the detriment of health and safety. Mining was producing, diamonds, gold, coal and other minerals, manufacturing was expanding, but fatalities and injuries amongst the workers was growing. Oppenheimer wanted a safer workplace. Hard hats were already in use, but only because through experience they had learned about the harm caused by falling objects. Other PPE was not routinely supplied. Equipment was not properly maintained, there were no safety guards, working conditions were unsanitary. Hazardous materials like asbestos were largely unknown. Risks were not considered.
Although we are happy to still be a force in the industry, we realise that we are here because worldwide, the workplace continues to be a cause of ill-health with too many accidents and fatalities, often as a result of ignorance and a lack of proper training.
The Safety First Association is one of the oldest OSH organisations worldwide. Through world wars, pandemics, and many other challenges, we have held fast. Over the years, we’ve fielded many complaints, queries and requests for assistance from the OSH Practitioner. But since Covid-19, these have reached a new level. Many feel sidelined and struggle to get their voices heard in their organisations, many can’t afford the necessary training to advance their skills, many can’t access the literature needed to improve their knowledge, some even lost their jobs during Covid-19. And then there are those who can’t get employment because they don’t have the necessary certification to prove their skills. It is for this reason we decided to launch the new division of the Safety First Association: Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner’s Council (OHSPC).
Our aim is to be there as a support for the OSH practitioner, to hear their grievances, work towards resolving them and share information. We want to make literature and information easily available and affordable. We want training to be accessible and affordable to all dedicated OSH practitioners. In line with the aims of our founding fathers, we want OSHPC to be a platform from which everyone from management down to the workers can learn about the principles of occupational safety and health. OSH is a necessary part of any organisation and we want to ensure it is recognised as such.
OSHPC – an extension to the SFA – will be a platform for debating, learning and sharing of information so that OSH Practitioners can develop into competent and capable practitioners in their workplaces. We have identified the problem and we hope you will join us so that we can learn and grow together. We want it be your voice. We want to hear from you.
To find out about membership, email: sankie@safety1st.co.za or magazine@african-osh.co.za
Click here to download the membership application form: OSHPC