Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)RegulationsRegulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 20203. Information, instruction and training |
| (1) | Every employer who undertakes work which is liable to expose an employee to an HCA must, before any employee is exposed or may be exposed, after consultation with the health and safety committee established for that section of the workplace, provide that employee with suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training, as well as thereafter inform, instruct and train that employee at intervals as may be recommended by that health and safety committee. |
| (2) | The information, instruction and training contemplated in subregulation (1) must include— |
| (a) | in regard to these regulations for HCAs— |
| (i) | the chemical substance regulations that are in place that govern all aspects of HCA use at the workplace; |
| (ii) | the legislated OELs that are in place; and |
| (iii) | the duties of persons who are likely to be exposed to an HCA, as contemplated in regulation 4; |
| (b) | details of the HCAs to which the employee is likely to be exposed at the workplace, including— |
| (i) | the names of the HCAs and where they may be found in the workplace; |
| (ii) | information on the potential harmfulness of the HCAs at the workplace; and |
| (iii) | significant findings of the HCA exposure assessment, as required by regulation 5(2); |
| (c) | information on how to access the relevant SDSs; |
| (d) | the information that each part of an SDS provides; |
| (e) | the information that each part of the label on containers provides and why the information is being provided; |
| (f) | the work practices and procedures that must be followed for the use, handling, storage, transportation, spillage and disposal of an HCA, in emergency situations, as well as for good housekeeping and personal hygiene; |
| (g) | the necessity of personal air sampling, biological monitoring and medical surveillance; |
| (h) | the need for engineering controls and how to use and maintain them; |
| (i) | the need for personal protective equipment, including respiratory protective equipment, and its use and maintenance; |
| (j) | the precautions that must be taken by an employee to protect themselves against health risks associated with exposure, including wearing and using protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment; and |
| (k) | the necessity, correct use, maintenance and potential of safety equipment, facilities and engineering control measures provided. |
| (3) | An employer must give written instructions of the procedures to be followed in the event of spillages, leakages or any similar emergency situations to the drivers of vehicles transporting an HCA. |
| (4) | As contemplated in section 37(2) of the Act, the employer and mandatary must agree in writing to the arrangements and procedures between them to ensure compliance by the mandatary with information, instruction and training requirements specified in regulation 3. |