The Performance of Key Stakeholders relative to Construction Health and Safety in South Africa

Construction health and safety (H&S) remains a challenge in South Africa, which manifests itself in accidents, fatalities, injuries, and ill-health. Furthermore, previous research findings and anecdotal evidence indicate that key stakeholders are not H&S compliant. The quantitative method was adopted for the study reported on, which entailed the completion of a self-administered questionnaire by delegates attending the Industry Day of a construction safety, health, and wellbeing conference in Cape Town, South Africa, prior to the commencement of the presentations. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which, inter alia, Construction H&S Agents (CHSAs) and Construction H&S Officers (CHSOs) discharge their duties in South African construction. The salient findings include: CHSAs and CHSOs do contribute to and have had an impact on construction H&S, and CHSAs and CHSOs experience shortcomings in terms of various aspects of the practice of their occupations. Conclusions include: CHSAs act in a diligent, professional, and ethical manner, and do not engage in acts of dishonesty, corruption, or bribery, and subscribe to CPD. However, they experience shortcomings in terms of undertaking design risk management, and possessing the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources. CHSOs do not act in a diligent, professional, and ethical manner, and do not engage in acts of dishonesty, corruption, or bribery. Furthermore, they experience shortcomings in terms of various aspects of the practice of their occupation. Recommendations include: CHSAs must be empowered to contribute to the ‘project management of H&S’ and ‘designing for construction H&S’; CHSOs must be empowered to contribute to the ‘overall management of H&S on projects’ at site level, and construction H&S CPD relative to CHSAS and CHSOs should focus on professionalism, including ethics.