It’s a new world. And it wasn’t the one anyone asked for. For most of us, the change has been abrupt and unsettling. But in spite of this, many have accepted the status quo, albeit with varying degrees of resignation.

The safety industry has a collective commitment to protecting every person, whether an employee, a visitor or a client on their premises. Within this new context, a new set of measures is needed if we’re expected to continue upholding the highest standards of occupational risk management.

Where there are people, there is risk. Right now, safety officers have a new enemy to fight, a new risk to manage, and therefore they need new tools to fight it.

That doesn’t mean the old instruments aren’t useful. In fact, any safety professional will still need training related to:

• identifying hazards and conducting efficient risk assessments
• the legal liabilities an organisation is exposed to through risk
• the official obligations of a SHE Representative
• implementing safeguards to combat the risk of hazards such as COVID-19.

Having said this, practical means of managing this new risk can only improve your chances of successfully protecting everyone for whom you are responsible, as they will provide guidance on the areas you need to cover, to ensure you don’t miss a key defence:

• Appointments: forms to ensure the proper support staff are appointed.
• Implementation plans: a guide on the precise protective measures to take.
• Induction modules: training that enables you to induct all employees on the new safety measures you’ve taken to protect everyone from COVID-19 risk.
• Legal audit questionnaire: check whether your safety measures are as effective and as comprehensive as they can be.
• Policies: establish in writing the actions you and your team has taken to protect everyone, and the penalties attached to any behaviour that goes against these.
• Posters: posters will support your efforts to educate and inform employees about the safety measures implemented and enforced.
• PPE issue documentation: providing new forms of PPE will require you to track their issue and ensure employees aren’t abusing access to them.
• Risk assessment: knowing what to check and monitor in your COVID-19 specific risk assessment will reassure you that you are covering all your bases.
• Sample committee meetings: your HSE committee meetings will need to know what to discuss with regards to COVID-19.
• Visitors symptoms checklist: every visitor will need to be checked before they are allowed to enter your organisation’s premises. A prepared checklist will aid you in noting any and all symptoms.
• Waste management: it is critical that all PPE that needs to be discarded, as well as any other waste generated at your company that could carry COVID-19, be disposed of by the safest means possible.

NOSA introduces the COVID-19 Compliance Officer qualification

NOSA is always seeking ways to assist our clients to continually improve their HSE management system, especially in response to unprecedented and unpredictable risk. With the coronavirus present in every corner of the globe, we all need to build on existing processes and procedures. NOSA is now offering a COVID-19 Compliance Officer qualification. This qualification will empower you with the tools and support you need to manage and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 in your workplace.

The certificate requires successful completion of the following four courses:

• Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA)
• Legal Liability
• SHE Representative
• COVID-19 HSE Implementation course

In addition, you will need to acquire our COVID-19 Systems Toolkit, for the essential templates and material to carry out your new safety designation*.

For more information, please contact:

Rachel Norris

Email: rachel.norris@nosa.co.za | Tel: 016 932 1970

*All four courses will need to be completed and the COVID-19 Systems Toolkit purchased (at a cost of R2 875 incl. VAT) to receive the certificate.