How to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act

A fire or explosion can be a very traumatic and costly experience, and every employer must realise that it could happen at any time, due to usage and storage of flammable liquid, smoking, cartons, paper, electrical overload etc. All of which can usually be predicted by an onsite Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. Whilst there are many different emergencies that can occur, OHS service providers are able to advise businesses based on one of the most common of them all – that being fire. In terms of the requirements for the SA ‘Emergency Evacuation Plan and procedure’ a company’s plan must be available and visible, and the proper information signage (as per South African National Standards ) must be affixed in visible areas to easily guide staff, contractors and visitors to safety. Of course before you can make it available, you have to ensure that you actually have a plan in the first place. Here are some tips on how to put your business’ Emergency and Evacuation Plan together: Step 1: Draw a plan of your building, floor, and /or work area and identify all of the evacuation routes with arrows.

Identify on the drawing, the Assembly Point, where all employees, visitors and contractors must assemble should they need to evacuate. Step 2: Draw up a simple 6, 7 or 8 step procedure, which must be affixed to the wall below the chart, identifying the method of raising the alarm, calling the emergency services, roll call, etc. Here is an example of such a procedure: 1) If you notice a flame, first attempt to extinguish it using the nearest fire extinguisher or, If you notice a flame, alert the trained fire fighter on the premises. 2) If the flames become unmanageable, raise the alarm. (It is important to note that you should have trained fire fighters, and a fire alarm on the premises) Step 3: Ensure you have enough fire extinguishers, and affix the proper red signage to identify the location of the fire extinguishers, keeping a 1 square metre area in front of it unobstructed at all times, so that you can reach the fire extinguisher when needed.


Put up the correct green and white emergency escape signage on the wall above the doors that form part of the plan, and ensure that the signs are visible from all work stations and in passages, showing the direction of the emergency exit. Step 4: Identify on the plan (revert back to step 1) the type and number of fire extinguishers and their exact location. Step 5: Attach the plan and procedures to notice boards, reception areas and at visible points around the building, so that everyone can see what the plan looks like. Step 6: Train all of your employees on the site specific plan, and hold a practice drill (practice drills should be held annually). The employees should know what the alarm sounds like, otherwise they will think it is the siren for tea time, lunch and so forth, and not realise that it is an emergency. Evaluate the results, and discuss any non adherences to the plan with your Health and Safety Committee. Step 7: Test your fire alarm regularly. For more solutions and assistance with ensuring you have correct procedures and comply with the national OHS Act, find a specialist OHS service provider who can guide you through the process. Take action today – waiting can spell disaster.

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