Health and safety practices on community projects: The South African experience

Development within the South African context implies human development ranging from enjoying a decent standard of living to participating in community activities, as opposed to solely economic development. It is argued that no development is possible without community participation and that development can only be accelerated if the energies and resources of the people are mobilised and if the people enjoy maximum participation in the decisions which affect their lives and livelihoods. Given that health and safety constitutes an integral part of a decent standard of living and development, and that worker participation is one of the two pillars of health and safety, this paper investigates health and safety practices on community projects. Findings based on the consultation of workers employed on community projects include: induction is rarely conducted; training is marginal; knowledge is sparse; knowledge of legislation is negligible; workers are never consulted regarding health and safety; reference is never made to health and safety when instruction to execute a task is given; personal protective equipment (PPE) is seldom provided; policy, rules and programme do not exist; goals are not set; Health and Safety Representatives are not appointed; meetings and inspections are not conducted, and workers perceive supervisors not to prioritise health and safety. These findings amplify the need for the implementation of comprehensive health and safety programmes on community projects to ensure that development does not occur at the expense of human life and suffering.