The Master Builders Association of the Western Cape is concerned with the alarming number of accidents happening on construction sites around the province.

The latest figures from the Federated Employer’s Mutual Assurance Company (FEM), which provides workmen’s’ compensation insurance to employers in the construction industry, shows that the province has seen 412 accidents on construction sites with six fatalities and 58 people left permanently disabled since the start of 2018.

Deon Bester, Occupational Health and Safety Manager at the Master Builders Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC), says these figures are unacceptably high. “We should be striving for zero fatalities and zero harm. Based on my experience, education can go a long way towards eliminating accidents and achieving this target.”

Curbing accidents on site

To address this issue the MBAWC will be hosting a seminar in June 2018, for mid-level management from Western Cape construction companies, where industry experts will deliver talks on a variety of health and safety related topics such as:

• COIDA (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act): The facts;
• Ethics in health and safety;
• Scaffolding: What you thought you knew but don’t;
• Occupational Risk Exposure Profiles: Why they need to be done properly;
• The science of human behaviour in respect to health and safety; and
• Unpacking Section 37 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

“I encourage all those who are committed to curbing accidents on site to attend so they can stay abreast of what is going on in the industry, learn from thought leaders and network with others,” concludes Bester.

The seminar is set to take place at Belmont Square and is open to both MBAWC members and non-members. Guests will be required to pay an attendance fee, with discounts available to members and FEM policy holders.

For more information, visit http://mbawc.org.za.