A Health and Safety Policy is a written document of a company's goals and commitment to workplace health and safety and addresses the health and safety needs of a company.

1. Health and Safety Policies
MAKROSAFE Holdings

2. Health and Safety Policies
A written Occupational Health and Safety policy (OHS) helps to promote
an effective workplace OHS programme.
A health and safety policy is a written document of a company’s goals and commitment to
workplace health and safety and addresses the health and safety needs of a company. A good
policy suggests how the company protects those who may be affected by hazards, risks or
activities in their work environment and how those issues may be dealt with.

3. Why must organizations define and
have a Health and Safety Policy
Health and safety policies and procedures are
crucial for the workplace because they:
• Show that the employer is committed to working within a set of health and safety
principles.
• Establish that the employer is addressing its health and safety obligations.
• Clarifies the functions and responsibilities about the organisation.

4. • Guide the actions of employees in a formal way.
• Ensure that every incident is recorded, communicated to employees and implemented in
a consistent and constant way
• Helps manage employees more effectively by defining acceptable and unacceptable
behaviour in the workplace.
• Save time by allowing health and safety matters to be handled quickly through an
existing procedure, rather than staff dealing with problems as they occur or responding
differently each time the same issues arise.
Each of these benefits listed above works towards
improving the health and safety system within the organization to create a culture where
health and safety is a commitment made by employees.

5. What does a Health and Safety Policy look like?
The Health and Safety Act is an all-inclusive document that can seem incredibly
overwhelming. It is filled with detailed checklists and pages upon pages of rules. A well-
structured policy should include the following:
A short description about the
organisation
The need for OHS compliance in the
workplace with reference to the
Occupational Health and Safety Act
(85 of 1993)
State the rights and responsibilities of
employers and employees in ensuring
a safe and healthy workplace
Specifies that management is
accountable for occupational health
and safety programmes and their
commitment to providing a safe and
healthy workplace by minimizing risks
and hazards
The company’s health and safety
statement
The date of the policy
CEOs signature
Review date of the policy

6. Most companies set out their policy into
3 main sections:
Your general policy statement which explains the company commitments to
effectively managing health and safety in the workplace.
Clearly set out responsibilities of the employer and employees.
The details of what your aims and goals are with regards to health and safety.

7. What is the Occupational Health and Safety Act
(85 of 1993)
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993) is a self-regulatory act, due to the
fact that it would be very difficult for the Department of Labour to police and enforce
the Act at all the different organisations in our country, the law makes it the duty of
both employers and employees to take responsibility for health and safety issues in
their own workplace. This is what the term “self- regulatory” means.
According to section 8 of the OHS Act: General duties of employers to their employees:
1. Every employer shall provide and maintain, as far as reasonably practicable,
a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of his employees.
2. Without derogating from the generality of an employer’s duties under subsection
(1), the matters to which those duties refer include in particular -

8. •The provision and maintenance of systems of work, plant and machinery that, as far as is
reasonably practicable, are safe and without risk to health;
•Taking such steps as may be reasonably practicable to eliminate or mitigate any hazard or potential
hazard to the safety or health of employees, before resorting to personal protective equipment;
•Making arrangements for ensuring, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety and absence of
risks to health in connection with the production, processing, use, handling, storage or transport
of articles or substances;
•Establishing, as far as is reasonably practicable, what hazards to the health or safety of persons
are attached to any work which is performed, and article or substance which is produced,
processed, used, handled, stored or transported and any plant or machinery which is used in his
business, and he shall as far as is reasonably practicable, further establish what precautionary
measures should be taken with respect to such work, article, substance, plant or machinery in
order to protect the health and safety of persons, and he shall provide the necessary means to
apply such precautionary measures;
•Providing such information, instructions, training and supervision as may be necessary to ensure,
as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees;
•As far as is reasonably practicable, not permitting any employee to do any work or to produce,
process, use, handle, store or transport any article or substance or to operate any plant or
machinery, unless the precautionary measures contemplated in paragraphs (b) and (d), or any
other precautionary measures which may be prescribed, have been taken;

9. Every employee shall at work:
Take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or
omissions;
As regards any duty or requirement imposed on his employer or any other person by this Act, co-operate with such
employer or person to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with;
Carry out any lawful order given to him, and obey the health and safety rules and procedures laid down by his
employer or by anyone authorized thereto by his employer, in the interest of health or safety;
If any situation which is unsafe or unhealthy comes to his attention, as soon as practicable report such situation to his
employer or to the health and safety representative for his workplace or section thereof. As the case may be, who shall
report it to the employer; and
If he is involved in any incident which may affect his health or which has caused an injury to himself, report such
incident to his employer or to anyone authorized thereto by the employer, or to his health and safety representative, as
soon as practicable but not later than the end of the particular shift during which the incident occurred, unless the
circumstances were such that the reporting of the incident was not possible, in which case he shall report the incident
as soon as practicable thereafter.
The law achieves this self-regulation by requiring organisations to develop effective workplace policies (Section 7) and
procedures. The law also requires commitment from both parties (employer and employee) to ensure that these
policies and procedures are applied.

10. Some very important things to recognise about
the Health and Safety Act:
It sets out employers’ duties, as well as that of the employees. A safe workplace is the
responsibility of the employer, such as identifying hazards, providing training, and issuing free
protective clothing. Employees need to take reasonable safety precautions and report any
dangerous conditions.
The Health and Safety Act applies to all workplaces. This includes all businesses and employers,
including farm and domestic workers. The only exclusions are mine workers, fishing and whaling
vessel employees, and those who work on floating cranes.
Safety representatives are provided for in the Act. At least one must be designated for every 100
employees.
All incidents and accidents must be recorded and these records must be kept.
The Act is enforced by inspectors, who may perform checks, searches and interviews without
notice.

11. How to involve your employees in the
Health and Safety Policy:

12. Engage employees in the health and safety process – this allows the employee to demonstrate commitment, ownership
and develop skills. Involve employees in the health and safety planning. Send them out to departments within the
organisation to learn about best practices for each department.
The method of removing a hazard starts with identifying any future hazards and reporting them timeously.
In meetings: Routinely discuss safety at employee meetings. Actively attend and partake in safety committee
meetings.
Use regular feedback to encourage safe behaviours.
Launch accident investigations as soon as possible and follow up and give feedback to identify corrective actions
within the organisation.
Make it clear to employees that they must report if they believe conditions are hazardous or harmful.
Communicate your health and safety statement to all employees and feature it on your website or intranet. Make your
health and safety policies and practices available so that it is easy for employees to consult and use.
An emergency plan should always be available and employees should be informed. It should be site-specific and based
on a thorough hazard valuation.
Most injuries occur when adequate training has not been followed. Make sure that all employees have the correct
training for their job descriptions.
At MAKROSAFE, we have years of experience with the Health and Safety Act, and an awesome track record to match.
We will provide quality service at every stage of your Health and Safety process. Contact us today about all your
organisations Health and Safety needs.

13. Our Vision
We believe in making sure your loved ones return home healthy and safe after work, by understanding your
specific needs and tailoring a comprehensive Health and Safety solution, backed by qualified professionals
providing legal compliance, training, and management of incidents in the workplace.
Our Mission
Achieving significant growth by developing and continuously improving our capabilities and delivering
professional value-added services and solutions to clients through sustainable relationships and departmental
goals.
Our Core Values
Trust – Our clients do business with us because they trust us to implement safety programmes that assist and
guide them with information, systems, and procedures to ensure the companies’ greatest asset, their
employees, return home safe after work.
Care – We care deeply about the health and safety of your loved ones. We believe in making sure your loved
ones return home safe after work by implementing and maintaining health and safety programmes in the
workplace that ensure we look after and provide for your health and safety needs.
Passion – Our passion leads us to our purpose. We believe in making sure your loved ones return home
healthy and safe after work.