The Department of Health as an employer considers its employees to be its most valuable assets and undertakes to safeguard them through providing and maintaining, as far as reasonably practical, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of its employees. In ensuring a safe and healthy working environment all employees of the Department of Health have to work closely together with the employer in minimizing any risk that might jeopardize the health and safety of employees of the Department. 2.PRINCIPLES The Department of Health will strive to continuously improve the occupational health , safety and environmental performance by adhering to the following principles: 2.

1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2.

5 2. 6 Developing and improving programs and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Ensuring that personnel are properly trained and provided with appropriate safety and emergency equipment, where applicable. Taking appropriate action to correct hazards or conditions that endanger health, safety and the environment.Considering safety and environmental factors in all operating decisions including planning and acquisition. Engaging in sound re-use and recycling practices and exploring feasible opportunities to minimize the amount and toxicity of waste generated.

Using energy efficiently throughout all operations DRAFT DRAFT -22. 7 Encouraging personal accountability and emphasizing compliance with standards and conformance with Departmental policies and best practices during employee training and in performance reviews.Communicating our desire to continuously improve our performance and fostering the expectation that every employee will follow this policy and report any environmental, health, or safety concern to management Monitoring progress through periodic evaluations. 2. 8 2.

9 3. MANDATES 3. 1 3. 2 3.

3 3. 4 3. 5 Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 General Safety Regulations in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, 1993 Mine Health and Safety Act,1996.Hazardous Biological Agents Regulations.

4. DOCUMENTS 4. 1 4. 2 Local emergency/evacuation plans Annexure A of the General Safety Regulations in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 5.

OBJECTIVES To ensure a safe and healthy work environment for employees throughout the Department based on the following objectives : 5. 1 5. 2 To provide and maintain, as far as practicable,hospitals,offices, systems and equipment that are safe and without risk to the health of staff.To take steps to eliminate or mitigate, as far as practicable, any hazard or potential hazard to the safety or health of employees, before resorting to personal protective equipment. ; To make arrangements for ensuring, as far as practicable, the safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the production, processing, use, handling, storage or transport of articles with toxic substance; 5.

3 DRAFT DRAFT -35. To establish, as far as practicable, what hazards to the health or safety of persons are attached to any work which is performed, any article or substance which is produced, processed, used, handled, stored or transported and any plant or machinery which is used in the business, and shall as far as is reasonably practicable, further establish what precautionary measures should be taken with respect to such work, article, substance, plant or machinery in order to protect the health and safety of persons, and shall provide the necessary means to apply such precautionary measures ; To provide such information, instructions, training and supervision as may be necessary to ensure, as far as practicable, a healthy and safely working environment for all employees ; To not permit, as far as practicable, any employee to do any work or to produce, process, use, handle, store or transport any article or substance or to operate any plant or machinery, unless the precautionary measures contemplated in paragraphs 5. 2 and 5. , or any other precautionary measures which may be prescribed, have been taken ; To take all necessary measures to ensure that the requirements in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act are complied with by every person in his employment or on premises under the control of the Department where plant or machinery is used; To enforce such measures as may be necessary in the interest of health and safety ; To ensure that work is performed and that any machinery is used under the general supervision of a person trained to understand the hazards associated with it and who have the authority to ensure that precautionary measures taken by the employer are implemented.

5. 5 5. 6 5. 7 5. 8 5.

9 6.DISCUSSION (POLICY MATTERS) 6. 1 Responsibilities of employer 6. 1.

1 The Superintendent-General shall assign, in terms of subsection 16(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the duties as contemplated in subsection 16(1) of the said Act to the Managers : Districts, Hospitals and/ or Instituitions. 6. 1. 2 All District, Hospital and Instituitional Managers have the statutory responsibility and accountability for health and safety within their components and working environment. DRAFT DRAFT -46. 1.

3 Patients , members of the community and any other affected people will be taken care of and be protected as stipulated in terms of Section 9 of the Act. 6. 1. Contractors and sub-contractors on our premises will have to fully comply with the Law as clearly stated in terms of Section 37 of Occupational Health and Safety Act.

6. 1. 5 All managers will have to be trained in Occupational Health and Safety Act. ( i. e.

no person will get a Management position in the Department of Health unless that person has at least a basic course in Occupational Health and Safety Act. ) 6. 2 Responsibilities of employees The responsibilities of each employee are the following : 6. 2. 1 6. 2.

2 Take reasonable care for the health and safety of him/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions.As regards any duty or requirement imposed on his/her employer or any other person, co-operate with such employer or person to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with. Carry out any lawful order given to him/her, and obey the health and safety rules and procedures laid down by his/her employer or by anyone authorised thereto by his/her employer, in the interest of health and safety. If any situation which is unsafe or unhealthy comes to his/her attention, as soon as practical report such situation to his/her employer or to the health and safety representative for his/her workplace or section thereof, as the case may be, who shall report it to the employer.If he/she is involved in any incident which may affect his/her health or which has caused an injury to him/herself, report such incident to his/her employer or to anyone authorised thereto by the employer, or to his/her health and safety representative, as soon as practicable but not later than the end of the particular working day during which the incident occurred, unless the circumstances were such that the reporting of the incident was not possible, in which case he/she shall report the incident as soon as practicable thereafter.