The Department of Employment and Labour is to host a three-day National Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) conference 2026 to reimagine the future of OHS in South Africa.

The OHS conference forms part of the Department's Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch's broader programme to modernise the OHS system, strengthen enforcement capacity, and embed prevention as the organising principle of workplace regulation.

National Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) conference is expected to bring together 800 delegates including 600 OHS inspectors, departmental OHS experts, OHS industry experts/organisations, regulatory organisations, organised business, labour federations, academia, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The theme of the conference is: “Beyond Compliance: Prevention in Practice". The Conference is convened at a critical moment in South Africa's economic and labour market trajectory. It reflects the Department's strategic repositioning of Occupational Health and Safety as:

• A constitutional imperative
• A fundamental right at work
• A core function of state authority
• A pillar of economic productivity and investor confidence
• A foundation for decent work and inclusive growth
  
   
  
  Among issues that will come under the spotlight during the conference include: addressing regulatory gaps in South Africa's OHS landscape: challenges, enforcement failures and policy reform pathways; leveraging on statistics to reduce injuries and occupational diseases; turning regulations into action: using the OHS regulatory framework to prevent and reduce incidents and illnesses; creative solutions to manage risks in the explosives industry; construction - accountability through competency to reduce workplace incidents; management of change in process safety to reduce Major Hazard Installation (MHI) incidents; risk assessment; global perspective on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the prevention of occupational injuries and diseases; the use of technology to prevent incident in the construction sector; and the role of research in preventing injuries and diseases among others.
  
   
  
  The three-day gathering will culminate with a Gala Awards Ceremony to honour outstanding inspectors and champions of policy development which are aimed at Promoting Vision Zero principles.
  
   
  
  Members of the media are invited to attend the National Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) conference which will be held as follows:
  
   
  
  Venue: Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre,44 View Point Rd, Bartlett, Boksburg, 
  
  Date: 17–19 March 2026
  
  Time: 07:45 – 16:00
  
   
  
  For media inquiries, please contact:
  
  Teboho Thejane
  
  Departmental Spokesperson
  
  082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za
  
  -ENDS-
  
  Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
  
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