South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024
South Africa's regulations on physical agents at work under the OHS Act: consultation and training before exposure, duties of exposed persons and of equipment suppliers, a competent-person exposure risk assessment every 24 months, exposure monitoring, medical screening and surveillance with certificates of fitness, agent-specific controls and monitoring methods for cold stress, heat stress, illumination (including emergency lighting), indoor air quality, vibration and non-ionising radiation, the hierarchy of controls, personal protective equipment, maintenance and testing of controls and 40-year record keeping.
South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 is a compliance framework from South Africa with 3 domains and 16 controls. The largest domains are Regulations 3 to 8: Information and training, duties of exposed persons and of suppliers, exposure risk assessment, exposure monitoring, medical screening and surveillance – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 (6 controls), Regulations 9 to 14: Agent-specific requirements for cold stress, heat stress, illumination, indoor air quality, vibration and non-ionising radiation – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 (6 controls), Regulations 15 to 18: Prevention and control, personal protective equipment, maintenance of control measures, records – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 (4 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (3)
Regulations 15 to 18: Prevention and control, personal protective equipment, maintenance of control measures, records – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::15 | Prevention or control of exposure: eliminate exposure where practicable, otherwise reduce it below the OELs through the hierarchy of controls (engineering controls at source or on the exposure route, plant kept in good order and repaired or replaced, administrative controls limiting numbers and duration), with information, instruction and training on inspecting and using controls and reporting failures |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::16 | Personal protective equipment and facilities: where exposure cannot be eliminated or controlled, suitable PPE capable of reducing exposure, selected for the agent, task, effort, duration, visibility, comfort, communication, compatibility and practitioner recommendations, with information, instruction, training and supervision, hygienic upkeep, safe disposal, availability, storage and enforced use, extended to non-employees |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::17 | Maintenance of control measures: every control fully and properly used, maintained in an efficient state and good working order, in good repair and clean, and reviewed for effectiveness by inspections and tests at intervals not exceeding 24 months by a competent person |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::18 | Records: training, risk assessments and action plans, monitoring and action plans, illumination measurement and action plans, medical screening and surveillance reports and control maintenance kept for 40 years, available to representatives, the committee and inspectors (medical records only with the employee's written consent), and on ceasing business the Chief Director told where records are kept and how they can be accessed |
Regulations 3 to 8: Information and training, duties of exposed persons and of suppliers, exposure risk assessment, exposure monitoring, medical screening and surveillance – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::3 | Information, instruction and training: consult and inform representatives or the committee about risk assessments, monitoring, training, screening and surveillance and their documented outcomes; comprehensive practical and theoretical training before any exposure on the listed topics; annual refresher training; and training of mandataries and other affected persons |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::4 | Duties of persons exposed: obey lawful instructions on using control measures, reporting defective, damaged or lost controls, cooperating in exposure determination, reporting risks, attending screening and surveillance and training; and inspect, use, store and dispose of PPE as instructed, never misuse it, and report damage or the need to clean or replace it |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::5 | Duties of designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers: build the Regulations' health and safety standards into design and manufacture, design plant and machinery to minimise exposure when properly used, supply it so it can be transported, received, stored and handled with minimal exposure, install it to minimise exposure, and provide information, instruction, training and maintenance information to users |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::6 | Physical agent exposure risk assessment: documented, by a competent person, before exposure where practicable and at least every 24 months, covering hazard identification, affected persons and how they are affected, analysis, evaluation and prioritisation of risks and previous assessments and monitoring, accounting for effects on men, women, young and vulnerable employees, with recommendations considered and a documented action plan, and review on the listed triggers |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::7 | Physical agent exposure monitoring programme where the assessment shows exposure at or above the OELs or guideline values or outside the guideline range: by a competent person, representative, methodologically sound, with calibrated and traceable instruments, quantifying exposure against the limits, at the assessed frequency and at least every 24 months, with recommendations and a documented action plan |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::8 | Medical screening and surveillance: a documented screening programme where the assessment requires it or for vulnerable employees on an occupational medicine practitioner's opinion, with the practitioner deciding need and specifying history, examinations, tests and intervals; initial screening before employment and periodic screening at most every 24 months by an occupational health practitioner; written outcome reports and certificates of fitness; exit screening; accommodation of restrictions; a documented surveillance system analysing results over time; written informed consent; and a 60-day appeal to the Chief Inspector |
Regulations 9 to 14: Agent-specific requirements for cold stress, heat stress, illumination, indoor air quality, vibration and non-ionising radiation – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::10 | Heat stress: eliminated at source where practicable; at the action level identify why and review controls; at or above the OEL apply alternative methods, plant, maintenance, layout and rest facility review, review of assessment, monitoring, screening, surveillance and controls, exposure limits, acclimatisation, heat-specific first aid, sufficient potable water and protective clothing with the Table 9 adjustment; monitoring to SANS 7243 |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::11 | Illumination: natural or artificial light meeting the minimum maintained average illuminance of Tables 4 to 7 with glare, uniformity, flicker and stroboscopic effect controlled, specialised lighting for hazardous and precision tasks, emergency lighting at the prescribed lux levels and activation times mounted and tested three-monthly, an illumination measurement programme to SANS 10114-1, 10389-1 and 10114-2 at least every 24 months with an action plan, maintenance of luminaires and windows, building work lighting and SANS 10400 Part O windows |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::12 | Indoor air quality: hazards to indoor air eliminated at source where practicable, otherwise controlled to the Table 3 guidance levels by natural or artificial ventilation, artificial systems meeting SANS 10400 Part O, tested by a competent person at least every 24 months and maintained to manufacturer specifications or the assessment, with monitoring of thermal parameters, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, other chemical agents, mould and biological agents and occupancy air requirements |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::13 | Vibration: hand-arm and whole-body vibration eliminated at source where practicable; at the action level identify why and review controls; at or above the OEL apply alternative methods, low-vibration plant, maintenance, layout and rest facility review, review of assessment, monitoring, screening, surveillance and controls, exposure limits and protective clothing against cold and damp; monitoring to SANS 2631 for whole-body and the prescribed axis, cycle, hand and season rules for hand-arm vibration |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::14 | Occupational non-ionising radiation: eliminated at source where practicable; at or above the Tables 1 and 2 OEL apply alternative methods, plant producing the least radiation, maintenance, layout review, review of assessment, monitoring, screening, surveillance and controls, exposure limits and PPE; monitoring by source and type; and Annexure 1 signage at identified sources and areas interfering with biomedical devices |
| south-africa-physical-agents-regulations-2024::9 | Cold stress: eliminated at source where practicable; otherwise alternative methods, plant designed to reduce cold stress, maintenance, review of layout and rest facilities, review of the assessment, monitoring, screening, surveillance and controls, exposure durations within Table 8 and dry insulated whole-body protective clothing; monitoring over at least four hours in the coldest part of the shift and year using chill temperature |
What is South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 and who does it apply to?
South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 is a compliance framework from South Africa with 3 domains and 16 controls. South Africa's regulations on physical agents at work under the OHS Act: consultation and training before exposure, duties of exposed persons and of equipment suppliers, a competent-person exposure risk assessment every 24 months, exposure monitoring, medical screening and surveillance with certificates of fitness, agent-specific controls and monitoring methods for cold stress, heat stress, illumination (including emergency lighting), indoor air quality, vibration and non-ionising radiation, the hierarchy of controls, personal protective equipment, maintenance and testing of controls and 40-year record keeping. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 actually require?
South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 has 16 controls organised across 3 domains. The largest domains are Regulations 3 to 8: Information and training, duties of exposed persons and of suppliers, exposure risk assessment, exposure monitoring, medical screening and surveillance – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 (6 controls), Regulations 9 to 14: Agent-specific requirements for cold stress, heat stress, illumination, indoor air quality, vibration and non-ionising radiation – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 (6 controls), Regulations 15 to 18: Prevention and control, personal protective equipment, maintenance of control measures, records – South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 do I already cover?
South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
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