Page 13 - KZN BUSINESS SENSE Vol3 No3
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COMPETENCY IN SAFETY
WHEN IS A PERSON SEEN AS COMPETENT IN
THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ENVIRONMENT?
Bryan van den b. Is familiar with the Act and with to be a safety
Heever, Operations the applicable regulations made representative
Manager under the Act. from a training
Notes: provider and a lot
of information like
The a. An all-inclusive assessment the act, accident
construction should be on all four and incident
regulations components knowledge, procedures as
define a training and experience, and well as hazard
competent where appropriate identification and
person as qualifications exist in relation risk assessment is
a person to the work to be performed. provided. It would
who: b. Part b. of the above definition be reasonable to expect that behind his name. Remember you “Did I do enough to prevent
is best reflected through the senior or supervisor in the as the employer have to do what this incident or accident from
demonstration of understanding business is already qualified in the is reasonably practicable in your happening”. If the answer is, I
a. Has in respect of the work or of the Occupational Safety and subjects provided in-post training workplace. The moral and legal don’t know or No then you need
task to be performed the Health (OSH) Act and its to assist this safety representative liability for this person being to ensure competence as well
required knowledge, training various applicable regulations. in his tasks. responsible for people’s lives and as a working health and safety
and experience and, where health is not acceptable if he is management plan.
Many companies I have dealt
applicable, qualifications, So how do we implement this in with actually send a person on not competent.
specific to that work or task: our workplace to form part of the a safety representative course The same principle has to T: 087 941 7180
Provided that where appropriate safety management system? and then expect him to do a be enforced with regards to bryan@hesscon.co.za
qualifications and training are Just training people in a safety practitioner’s job. Surely all aspects in and around www.hesscon.co.za
registered in terms of the he cannot be deemed competent health and safety. Accident
provisions of the National subject like health and safety in doing a safety officer or investigators, permit issuers, fall
representative does not make him
Qualification Framework Act, or her competent. As you can see practitioner’s job. He would need protection planners etc. all need a
2008 (Act No.67 of 2008), those from the definition they need way more intense training as well qualification as well as experience
qualifications and that training experience as well as knowledge. as experience. In the same breath and knowledge.
must be regarded as the This is a very hard thing to it is not compliant to appoint a
required qualifications and manage in the workplace. The person as a safety officer with Remember to ask yourself
training; and person has one day of training only a theoretical qualification the question as an employer,
THE POWER OF HR LEADERSHIP
Lathasha Subban for HR leadership, and what CEOs accepting that HR is a “support”, present. HR needs to drive in February this year. It was a short
and businesses expect from HR. As add “strategic”. Become strategic business by recognising the phrase that I believe has a lot of
n the 8 June 2017, the South the new and emerging trends were and the support function will multi-skills and potential in power in it, and I hope it inspires
African Board for People presented, I saw HR leadership fall in place. their talent, and map those the HR leader in you:
IPractices (SABPP) presented step up and get excited to drive the ■ Talent audit yourself as HR. It is individuals to business outputs. “HR IS THE HEART OF EVERY
at the 4th Annual Emergence change. imperative that you understand Employees sit with many skills ORGANISATION.”
Growth HR Conference 2017. The So, I will ask the same question your strengths and weaknesses, and competencies that need a
theme was “The power of HR”, that I started my presentation with, but more so your unique talent platform to thrive. As a HR profession, I truly
and it was well represented in the “Do you recognise yourself as the in HR. ■ Learning becomes digital, believe that we are the King/Queen
presentations and the audience. talent that will drive the business ■ Know the trends and innovate. adaptive and accessible. that is responsible for all the hearts
As a speaker, I was overwhelmed vision?” Innovate your thoughts, Embrace technology as an of the organisation, and we need
to ensure they beat well and in
enabler, your talent already is
with the enthusiasm of the HR As HR, we are responsible processes and programmes by learning and growing their harmony. HR is the heart of every
professionals that attended, and for the leadership development understanding the change in knowledge base with it. organisation….beat as the life line
through our interaction, I really programmes, the leadership ladder employee, employer and for the employees and employer
admired the “HR leadership” that and the leadership everything business needs. ■ Leadership at all levels. and embrace your talent and
was being driven. Sharing the that the organisation requires, ■ Evolve the HR function. In the Recognise leadership at all leadership as a HR leader.
speaker platform with experts like yet we have not unpacked our article “The evolving employee”, levels. Most of the structures in
Natalie Singer, Yendor Felgate, Prof own leadership talent. HR I mentioned that since the organisations still have very Lathasha Subban is Head
Sakkie van der Merwe and Dr Pat leadership talent is vital to “lead” employee is evolving in their hierarchical or flat structures, of Knowledge & Innovation
Smythe, the event dealt with many the programmes that build the needs and expectations, HR hence making leadership at SABPP. She was one of the
HR and business challenges that organisation’s talent pipeline and needs to evolve and respond to something from a top-down speakers at the 4th Annual
HR professionals face in current workforce. Interestingly enough, those needs. Business evolution level. The power of HR Emergence Growth HR
times. the audience when asked the + employee evolution = talent leadership is that it can Conference. You can contact her
recognise leadership at all levels
Areas of equal work and equal question went into deep thought, evolution = HR evolution. and measure through outputs. on lathasha@sabpp.co.za.
pay, talent standards, talent yet what I witnessed was a group of ■ Measure success and return on
strengths, training and millennial powerful HR leaders equipped to investment. Everything we do in HR is clearly a critical talent T: 011 026 3442
engagement was unpacked drive the business vision. HR must have a measurement in driving the business vision, F: 086 766 8598
with solutions and practicality. Here are some tips to assist in you and must make business sense. and mainly so because its role Head Office: 328 Main Ave, Ferndale,
Myths were squashed and real in becoming “the talent that drives Ensure your strategy aligns to functions across the entire Johannesburg
time statistics was shared and the business vision”: outputs that drives business structure, between every level www.emergencegrowth.com
exchanged. The power of HR success. of work, and forms the life Facebook: @EmergenceGrowth
leadership created a strong fire on ■ Know the business plan. By ■ New game + new rules = new line between the employer and Twitter: @EmergenceGrowth
a very cold day in Johannesburg. understanding that HR does not skills and competencies. HR is a employee. This is why the power LinkedIn: Emergence Growth
I witnessed an audience that work in the silo of the business, leader in talent, and the of HR leadership needs to develop
and soar.
but enables the business strategy
standard in talent acquisition,
engaged and interacted with the with a skilled and competent selection, benchmarking has
knowledge experts, but shared workforce. changed. The adapt, evolve and As I closed my presentation at the
their challenges and solutions. I survive mode is in action at conference, I repeated a phrase I
learnt new things about the drive ■ Change the words. Instead of coined when I presented in India
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