Program Director
Inspector General
Chief Inspector
Chief Director Provincial Operations: NW
Representatives of Organised Labour
Representatives of Organised Business
Distinguished guests
Senior managers and inspectors Department of Employment and Labour
Ladies and gentlemen
Programme director, OHS is at the one of the most important pieces of legislations that are enforced by the DEL. I am always grateful to have an opportunity to speak in gatherings of this nature. Since I joined the DEL family, I have been acutely aware of worrisome levels of noncompliance with OHS. The picture is unrelentingly unchanging. This is pervasive across most sectors, hence the theme of this conference:
“IMPROVING HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE IRON AND STEEL SECTOR"
The iron and steel sector is one of the high risk sectors. The sector is marred by high levels of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases. We have to soldier on in our quest to improve the outlook of compliance. Giving up is not an option, especially against the backdrop of the marking of 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter. The Freedom Charter is characterized by a spirit of resilience, among others. The iron and steel sector has had an immense contribution to the growth of the economy. We have beautiful buildings, roads and infrastructure, which the sector has contributed to.
It is common knowledge that South Africa is the current chair for the G20. The G20's agenda is centered around finding global solutions to challenges such as stagnancy of economies, unemployment, inequality and poverty. South Africa is not spared from these world challenges. We need to continue to self-introspect and reflect on the extent to which the steel and iron sector has contributed toward Decent Employment, this, in keeping with growth and development strategies and agendas. Decent work is characterised by the following components:
Decent work is promoted through the right to work, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue.
Decent work does not only make an important contribution to sustainable development, it is a fundamental dimension of the quality of life.
In addition, it is imperative for the sector to respond to sustainable businesses and inclusive industrialization. Moreover, the sector needs to contribute towards research and development.
As recent as the 16th of October 2024, we signed the OHS prevention Accord where all the social partners committed to a renewed and redoubled effort to prevent injuries and diseases. On the same day, the Department launched the OHS strategy 2024- 2029. The strategy consists of 5 strategic objectives namely:
Programme Director, the recent gathering of the G20 community in Gqeberha attested to the fact that people around the world face common challenges. People throughout the globe are confronted with the following atrocities, amongst others:
The Iron and Steel sector is not spared from these atrocities. It is imperative to invest in workers in this sector from a training and development point of view. It is no longer possible to achieve higher levels of productivity, competitiveness and quality without investing in effectual training. The competitive advantage of having a qualified workforce also depends on the country's capacity to retain the persons they have trained and give them adequate employment in productive activities, otherwise, the effort made will be useless and frustrating.
As a matter of fact, the goal of decent work is best expressed through the eyes of people. It is about current jobs and future prospects. It is also about working conditions. The issue of balancing work and family life remains pertinent.
Programme director, as you are aware, technological advancements are part of the future of work. Thes sector needs to take full advantage of technology to improve the ease of doing their work.
At the State of the Nation Address 2025 President Ramaphosa announced that “Government will spend more than R940 billion on infrastructure over the next three years". He further outlined the revitalization of bridges. He also mentioned that dams will be built, and there would be a modernization of our ports and airports. A case in point is Mtentu Bridge, which is under construction, it will be the tallest bridge in Africa when completed. The iron and steel sector must be ready to support these type of projects. At the core of these, should be the matter of job creation and sustainable development.
According to InvestSA the steel sector represent 1.5% of the country GDP and account for some 190000 jobs. According to SAISI, crude steel production capacity is about 8.5 million tons per year, but the effective rate is closer to 6.5 million tons. The metal is widely used in the mining, automotive, energy, packaging, and transport sectors of the South African economy.
The ILO has developed the code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry in 2003 and was revised in 2005. The iron and steel sector in South Africa adopted the Code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry in principle.
The Code of Practice aims to contribute to:
In 2012, we commissioned a study on the impact of noise induced hearing loss in the primary producers of iron and steel. Eight companies from the iron and steel were surveyed. Some of the recommendations of the study were:
I must thank the National Institute Of Health (NIOH) who were instrumental in ensuring that the study was conducted professionally.
DEL has intensified efforts to ensure adherence to employment laws across all nine provinces through targeted inspections.
In February this year, the OHS inspectorate conducted national high impact blitz inspections in the iron and steel sector to demonstrate our commitment towards upholding of OHS standards, nationwide.
During that period, KwaZulu Natal conducted the highest number of inspections, totaling 479. North West followed with 405 inspections, and Western Cape with 327. Inspections were also carried out in Eastern Cape (301) Mpumalanga (281) Gauteng (217) Free State (201) and Northern Cape (59). In total, 2576 high impact blitz inspections were conducted nationally in the Iron and Steel Sector. These were joint inspections that involved the Department of Home Affairs and South African Police Services.
Programme director, it should be noted that we are continuously improving the architecture of our policies, for that reason, the OHSA legislation is undergoing reforms and will be promulgated under the 7th administration. I trust that you have taken advantage of contributing in the review when it went out for public comments.
The following regulations are also under review:
The DEL would like to see the legal framework playing a role to improve OHS. It should be stated that partnerships are pivotal to avoid incidents resulting in fatalities and diseases. Government, employers, employees and the general population need to relook at internal and external health, safety and technical requirements in the sector with respect to compliance and improving decent work.
Ladies and gentlemen, over the next three days, lets raise awareness and stimulate dialogue on the importance of creating and investing in resilient Occupational Health and Safety systems.
Let me also take this opportunity to thank the following partners, in advance, for their contribution in this conference:
© 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour
