Welcome to SafetyHelp
Your trusted platform for occupational health and safety (OHS) in South Africa. We provide automated, AI-enhanced tools to ensure safety and compliance for workplaces, schools, churches, and informal sectors. Join our community to access resources, services, and support tailored to your needs.
Why Choose SafetyHelp?
Automation & AI
Our tools use automation and AI to simplify OHS processes like risk assessments and compliance audits, saving you time and ensuring accuracy.
Accessible for All
Designed for both formal and informal sectors, our services support workplaces, schools, churches, and community spaces across South Africa.
Community-Driven
Join our vibrant community to access mentorship, share resources, rate suppliers, and collaborate on safety initiatives.
Quick Access
What Our Users Say
🌍 Prehistoric Era: Early OHS Practices
Early humans used communal knowledge to train hunters on safe tool use, minimizing injuries.
🏹 3000 BCE: Ancient Egypt OHS
Egyptian pyramid builders used ramps to reduce lifting injuries, an early ergonomic practice.
⚒️ 1800 BCE: Babylonian Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi included laws on workplace accountability, like penalties for builders if structures collapsed.
🩺 400 BCE: Hippocrates on Lead Poisoning
Greek physician Hippocrates described lead poisoning in miners, an early recognition of occupational disease.
🏺 200 BCE: Roman OHS Innovations
Romans used aqueducts to reduce worker exposure to contaminated water, improving health on construction sites.
🌿 Pre-1652: Precolonial South Africa OHS
Bantu and Khoisan communities used medicinal plants like aloe to treat work-related injuries.
🪓 Pre-1652: Task Rotation in South Africa
Indigenous South Africans practiced task rotation in agriculture to reduce fatigue and injury risks.
⚒️ 1652: Dutch East India Company in Cape Town
The Dutch introduced European trades like carpentry, bringing new workplace hazards to South Africa.
⛏️ 1867: Mineral Revolution in South Africa
Diamond discovery in Hopetown led to deep-shaft mining, exposing workers to cave-ins and silica dust.
🪨 1871: Kimberley Deep-Shaft Mining Risks
Kimberley mines introduced risks like toxic gas exposure, with over 50,000 workers affected by 1875.
🏭 1886: Witwatersrand Gold Rush
The gold rush in Johannesburg led to over 1,000 annual fatalities by 1904 due to rockfalls and explosions.
🛠️ 1886: Industrial OHS in South Africa
Factories in Cape Town and Johannesburg introduced risks like machinery entanglement and chemical burns.
🌍 1893: Migrant Labour System in South Africa
The Chamber of Mines created a migrant labour system, exposing black workers to hazardous jobs.
📜 1911: Mines and Works Act in South Africa
South Africa’s first OHS framework mandated mine inspectors but enforced a “colour bar” limiting safety roles to white workers.
🩺 1912: Silicosis Compensation in South Africa
Temporary compensation for silicosis was introduced, with over 20% of miners affected by 1920.
🚨 1932: Safety First Association in South Africa
Sir Ernest Oppenheimer founded the Safety First Association to promote accident prevention in mines.
🌍 1948: ILO Convention 81 on Labour Inspection
The ILO’s Labour Inspection Convention influenced South Africa to strengthen workplace safety oversight.
🩺 1973: Occupational Diseases Act in South Africa
Compensation for diseases like silicosis and asbestosis was consolidated, effective October 1973.
📋 1976: Erasmus Commission on OHS
The Erasmus Commission examined OHS shortcomings across South African industries, highlighting enforcement gaps.
🪖 1982: National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)
NUM was founded, advocating for better mine safety and black workers’ rights under apartheid.
📉 1980s: Job Insecurity in South Africa
High unemployment and sanctions increased job insecurity, deterring workers from demanding safer conditions.
📊 1987: Manpower Survey in South Africa
The survey highlighted hazardous job concentration among non-white workers, exacerbating OHS risks.
📜 1992: IOHSA in South Africa
The Institute of Occupational Hygienists of Southern Africa was formed, professionalizing OHS.
📋 1993: OHS Act in South Africa
The Occupational Health and Safety Act introduced universal OHS frameworks, including risk assessments.
🩺 1993: COIDA in South Africa
The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act provided compensation across industries.
👥 1994: Gender Integration in South Africa
Post-apartheid workplace gender integration increased women’s exposure to OHS risks in male-dominated sectors.
👩🏭 1995: Women in Mining
Women faced ergonomic and psychosocial hazards in South African mines, often in low-skilled roles.
📜 1996: Mine Health and Safety Act
South Africa strengthened mine safety with mandatory accident reporting and inspectorate powers.
⚖️ 1996: SA Constitution and OHS
The South African Constitution enshrined the right to a safe work environment in the Bill of Rights.
🌍 1997: SADC HIV Programs
Southern African mines introduced HIV prevention programs, but they had limited OHS impact.
🌍 1999: Global OHS Research Gap
Leading OHS journals focused on workplace issues, often neglecting developing countries like South Africa.
⚖️ 2000: Lubbe v Cape plc
SA asbestos victims sued UK companies, setting a global precedent for corporate OHS accountability.
📜 2001: King II Report in South Africa
The King II Report integrated OHS into corporate governance, emphasizing social responsibility.
📉 2001-2020: Inconsistent OHS Data
South Africa’s lack of a national OHS surveillance system led to inconsistent occupational disease reporting.
🛠️ 2003: Informal Labour in Kenya
Kenyan informal workers faced unsafe conditions, a trend mirrored in South Africa’s informal sector.
📜 2004: Companies Act and OHS
South Africa’s Companies Act began emphasizing OHS in corporate responsibility frameworks.
📉 2008: Rising Unemployment in South Africa
Unemployment exceeded 30%, driving workers into hazardous informal jobs with poor OHS standards.
📜 2009: King III Report and ESG
King III integrated OHS into ESG frameworks, urging companies to prioritize workplace safety.
🌍 2010: ILO WISE Program Influence
The ILO’s WISE program influenced South African small enterprises to adopt practical OHS improvements.
⛏️ 2011: Artisanal Mining in Africa
Artisanal mining exposed workers to dust and fumes, impacting South African Zama Zamas similarly.
🛒 2012: Spaza Shops OHS Risks
South African spaza shops faced OHS issues like poor ventilation and fire hazards in informal settings.
🔋 2013: Green Tech Mining Concerns
Cobalt mining for EV batteries in the DRC exposed workers to toxic chemicals, influencing SA’s green tech OHS debates.
🌍 2014: E-Waste Dumping in Africa
E-waste dumping in West Africa released toxins, impacting SA workers through similar disposal practices.
⛏️ 2015: Zama Zamas in South Africa
Over 30,000 Zama Zamas operated in 6,000 abandoned SA mines, facing unsupported tunnels and gas risks.
🚨 2016: Crime and OHS in South Africa
Violent crime in SA mining towns exposed security guards to OHS risks like assault and trauma.
🌍 2017: Global Initiative on Zama Zamas
A report highlighted crime in SA’s Zama Zama sector, including gang violence affecting worker safety.
⚖️ 2018: PSA obo Members v Minister
A case reaffirmed employer duty under SA’s OHS Act after unsafe government building conditions were reported.
👩 2019: Gender Discrimination in Zama Zamas
Female Zama Zamas faced sexual abuse and restricted site access, increasing their OHS vulnerabilities.
🌱 2020: Green Tech Disposal Risks
Disposal of rare earth elements for green tech in SA raised OHS concerns like chemical exposure.
📉 2021: Unemployment and Informal Work
SA’s unemployment rate hit 45%, pushing workers into unsafe informal roles with minimal OHS protections.