Amended Occupational Health and Safety Act

(1)           The Minister may by notice in the Gazette declare-

(a)       that no employer shall require or permit any employee belonging to a category of employees specified in the notice to perform work on or in any premises on or in which an activity specified in the notice is carried out which in the opinion of the Minister is an activity which threatens or is likely to threaten the health or safety of an employee belonging to that category of employees, or that no employer shall require or permit any such employee to perform any work on or in such premises otherwise than on the conditions specified in the notice;

(b)       that no employer shall require or permit any employee to perform any work in connection with the carrying out of a process specified in the notice which in the opinion of the Minister is a process which threatens or is likely to threaten the health or safety of an employee, or that no employer shall require or permit an employee to perform any work in connection with the carrying out of such a process otherwise than on the conditions specified in the notice; and

(c)        that no employer shall require or permit any employee, otherwise than on the conditions specified in the notice, to perform any work on or in any premises where an article or substance specified in the notice is produced, processed, used, handled, stored or transported which in the opinion of the Minister is an article or substance which threatens or is likely to threaten the health or safety of an employee.

(2)           (a) The Minister shall, before he publishes a notice under subsection (1), cause a draft of his proposed notice to be published in the Gazette and at the same time invite interested persons to submit to him in writing, within a specified period, comments and representations in connection with the proposed notice.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) shall not apply if the Minister, in pursuance of comments and representations received, decides to publish the notice referred to in subsection (1) in an amended form.

(3)           A notice under subsection (1) may at any time be amended or withdrawn by like notice.

(4)           A notice shall not be issued under subsection (1) or (3) unless the Minister for National Health and Welfare and the Council have been consulted.

(5)           A notice issued or deemed to have been issued under section 13 of the Machinery and Occupational Safety Act, 1983 (Act No. 6 of 1983), and which was in force immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have been issued under this section.