This course is designed for individuals interested in becoming a Health and Safety Representative. For those looking to pursue the Health and Safety Officer course, click here.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that workplaces appoint Health and Safety Representatives. These Reps are nominated and democratically elected by their fellow employees, rather than being chosen by their employers.

Health and Safety Reps work to represent employees’ interests, and are members of a larger OHS team that helps management implement compliance and achieve OHS objectives. Together, the OHS team strives to maintain a high standard of health and safety compliance and effectiveness across the entire organisation.

The duties of Health and Safety Reps include assisting with OHS-related inspections, risk assessments, and incident and accident investigations. Reps are also members of their organisation’s OHS committee, which feeds back to senior management and all employees.

Health & Safety Rep course content

• Sections of the OHS Act dealing with Reps and their functions, and relating to the quarterly health and safety committee meetings, which all members must attend
• Duties such as conducting quarterly workplace inspection, and the appointment letters for Reps
• Introduction to incident investigations and hazard identification risk assessments, which are some of the most important functions of a Rep
• A practical component: the learner conducts a walkabout with a check sheet in a controlled environment, and assesses the workplace for health and safety related concerns or non-conformances, to be discussed at the next health and safety committee meeting

Because of the hands-on nature of this training, it is offered in person at Absolute Health Services’ excellent training facilities in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban & Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Alternatively, if your employer has eight or more people needing to take a course, the instructors can come to you and conduct the training on site.