Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)

The provision of information, instruction and training for any person who may be exposed to ergonomic risks is of paramount importance, in order to assist employers and employees in reducing the exposure to ergonomic risks. The employer must ensure they are familiar with basic ergonomic principles, as well as establish a training programme for all employees exposed to ergonomic risks.

The employer must ensure that he or she obtains suitable information in order to train employees effectively. Training of employees may be conducted either internally or externally.

Information and training must be planned carefully and presented on commencement of employment. The frequency of training thereafter should depend on the severity of the ergonomic risks and should be determined by the health and safety committee. It is of the utmost importance that health and safety committees and health and safety representatives are thoroughly trained and educated with regards to ergonomics. This is to ensure that the health and safety representatives or committees are able to make informed decisions relating to their discretionary powers.

An employer should verify that employees understand ergonomic risks, with health and safety committee members, health and safety representatives and employees contributing to developing and implementing training programmes in relation to ergonomics.

It is the duty of employers to ensure that all employees have thorough knowledge of the provisions of the Act and these regulations. The aspects of training included in the regulation is the minimum content of a training programme however, the employer should provide a suitable training programme that is understandable to all their employees.