H&S descends on the Mother City

11th November 2024

With a move to Cape Town, this year’s South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Saiosh) Health and Safety Conference has been the best to date.

Century City Conference Centre overflowed with praise for the 2024 conference. The compliments continued long after the awards function on 16 August, with a common sentiment being that this was the best conference in its history.

“What an absolute pleasure it is to be here, as Saiosh, with our annual conference for the first time in 12 years,” the institute’s CEO Neels Nortjé said when he started his opening address. “We’ve had 11 conferences that we’ve hosted in Gauteng, at the Gallagher Convention Centre.” He added that whenever anyone asked if Saiosh could move the conference to another province, “we said no, it works (there), Gauteng is the place to be”.

Nortjé explained that Saiosh had a workshop in the Westen Cape directly after last year’s conference, when he asked the province’s members if the event should move to the Mother City. “I asked that they should please raise their hands if they would support a conference in Cape Town – some even raised both their hands, and legs.”

The rest has made history. “I would like to thank our Cape Town members in particular for convincing us (to make the move). We’re here in the Mother City and the conference is fully booked,” Nortjé proclaimed while the delegates gave a massive round of applause.

This year’s conference had a stellar lineup which included, amongst others:

“Practical Insights from Recent Case Law Developments in Occupational Health and Safety” – presented by Kate Collier, a partner at the law firm Webber Wentzel, who specialises in occupational health and safety (OHS) law.
“Activate 2028 – Preparing for the Sub-Saharan Africa Youthquake” – presented by Alan Stevens, head of strategic engagement at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
“Value, Sustainability, and Technology in the World of PPE” – Christo Nel, MD of uvex Middle East, Africa, and India.
“Cannabis: The Law and Implication in the Workplace” – Dr Greg Kew, registered occupational medicine specialist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

These topics, and some from the other speakers, will be included in future issues. The keynote address at the conference delved into “The Department of Employment and Labour’s Vision for Occupational Health and Safety in South Africa”, which was shared by the Inspector General, Aggy Moiloa. You can watch the entire presentation on Saiosh’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCT2Y_o5DkqfgIqNlzh–XFQ/about.

Moiloa highlighted the department’s OHS vision for 2029: “The aim of the strategy is to address the poor working conditions and lack of (OHS) compliance, or rather the inadequate compliance because there is some resemblance of compliance.” She added that the department had conducted over 1.2 million inspections between 2019 and 2024.

“If you look at compliance levels, particularly in terms of OHS, they hover around 45 to 60%. It is unacceptable. One cannot overemphasise the importance of health and safety, particularly in the workplace,” she emphasised. “There has got to be a change in behaviour: it’s got to be a culture, it’s got to go skin deep, we’ve got to live, breathe, and think health and safety so that you prevent injuries and diseases.”

The Saiosh OHS Conference helps with this. Nortjé’s foreword in the delegates’ brochure summarised it perfectly: “The Saiosh Health and Safety Conference has established itself as a crucial venue for professionals and experts to exchange ideas, and share experiences about the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in occupational health and safety.”

The institute’s annual awards also aid in this endeavour. First up was the Student of the Year Award, which went to Paresh Narsai. “This award goes to the top student from various institutions and universities, (who has) attained the best marks. It includes a financial award, a floating trophy, a certificate, and free attendance to next year’s conference,” noted Nortjé. Narsai completed a degree in safety and emergency management with 11 distinctions.

Saiosh, which has registered more than 20,000 OHS practitioners since its inception in 2010, also gives out annual bursaries to aid the industry. “We’ve identified the scarcity of skills in the occupational health and safety field, and noticed the challenges that some prospective candidates and members have in accessing funds to pay for their skills development,” Nortjé expanded.

The Robin Jones Saiosh Person of the Year Award, meanwhile, went to Yaseen Francis. The award also aids the OHS profession by giving recognition to a member for outstanding work done within a specified time span, and carries real merit. “Such outstanding work may be related to the general field of occupational health and safety, or may be for specific work done for Saiosh,” explained Nortjé. “It includes a financial award, a floating trophy, and free attendance for the following year’s conference.”

The awards evening also witnessed a special occasion, as Saiosh president Dr Sanjay Munnoo was added to the Wall of Fame. “(He) is only the third person in South Africa to receive this award,” Nortjé noted proudly. The Wall of Fame is Saiosh’s most prestigious honour, recognising a lifetime of commitment to workers’ safety and health. Each recipient has boasted a wealth of unique personal and professional achievements in the occupational safety and health profession, and has been a leader in the OHS community – all of which sums Munnoo up perfectly.

During his opening address, Nortjé related a story which encapsulated the event perfectly: “As I was setting up, I bumped into one of our members and voiced my concerns about whether the conference is going to work at the new venue. He said ‘Neels, people come to the Saiosh conference, regardless of where it is being held’.”

Well done, Saiosh – we look forward to next year’s event!