What is a Section 16.2 appointment?

Under the OHS Act, the chief executive officer carries the duty under Section 16(1) and may assign specific duties to capable persons through a documented Section 16(2) appointment. It is a distinctive feature of the South African appointment structure.

Is a UK risk assessment enough for a South African operation?

No. South African operations must comply with the OHS Act 1993 and its regulations, including the appointment structure and committee requirements. UK documentation needs adaptation.

The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, which provides the compensation framework for workplace injuries and diseases, with employer registration and reporting obligations.

Can Arinite manage health and safety across UK and South African sites?

Yes. Coordinating UK and South African obligations within a single compliance system is a core part of what Arinite does, with locally qualified practitioners for the South African operations.

What does it cost to work with Arinite in South Africa?

Cost depends on workforce size, number of sites, the current state of existing arrangements, and the scope of services required. A free gap analysis call with one of our Qualified consultants will give a clear estimate.

HSE inspections up 47% - HSE carried out over 13,200 workplace inspections in 2024/25.

LocationsSouth Africa
Health and Safety Consultants inSouth Africa

Q: What is the main health and safety law in South Africa?

The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993), enforced by the Department of Employment and Labour. Mining falls under the separate Mine Health and Safety Act.

Risk assessments · OHS Act 1993 compliance · Section 16.2 appointments · DSE and ergonomics · Ongoing support in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria

South Africa has a well-developed occupational health and safety regime built on the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, enforced by the Department of Employment and Labour. The framework will feel broadly familiar to UK practitioners, but it has its own duties, its own appointment structure, and its own compensation system. Arinite provides Qualified consultants and compliance software to businesses in South Africa, with particular strength for UK and international groups coordinating their South African operations with a single group compliance standard across 50+ countries.

Book My Free South Africa Gap Analysis Call +44 (0)20 7947 9581

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UK & International

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ABOUT

Workplace Health and Safety
in South Africa

The principal statute is the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993), supported by numerous regulations covering specific hazards, and enforced by inspectors from the Department of Employment and Labour. Mining operations fall under the separate Mine Health and Safety Act. Several features matter for any business operating in South Africa:

General duties of the employer

Section 8 places a duty on employers to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to health, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Risk assessment and hazard control

Employers must identify hazards and control risks, with specific regulations (such as those for hazardous chemical substances and noise) imposing detailed requirements.

Section 16.2 appointments

The chief executive officer carries the duty under Section 16(1), and may assign duties to capable persons through a documented Section 16(2) appointment. This appointment structure is a distinctive feature of the South African system.

Health and safety representatives and committees

Sections 17 to 19 require the designation of representatives and the establishment of committees once employee thresholds are met.

COIDA

The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act provides the compensation framework, with employer registration and reporting obligations.

Arinite supports businesses operating in South Africa, with particular strength for UK and international groups whose South African operations must meet the OHS Act while staying consistent with a single group compliance system. We work with locally qualified practitioners.

CITIES

Health and Safety Support
Across South Africa

Johannesburg

The commercial and financial centre.

Cape Town

Durban

Pretoria

COMPLIANCE GAPS

Common Compliance Gaps We
Find in South Africa

No documented Section 16.2 appointments, or appointments that do not reflect the actual management structure.

Risk assessments missing or not current for the specific hazards present.

Health and safety representatives and committees not established where thresholds are met.

UK group documentation used unchanged, without reflecting the OHS Act 1993 and its regulations.

DSE and ergonomic assessments missing for office, home, and hybrid workers.

COIDA registration or reporting obligations not met.

SERVICES

Our Health and Safety
Services in South Africa

Delivered through Qualified consultants and integrated health and safety software, as part of our outsourced health and safety service.

Risk assessments

Documented risk assessment covering all activities and locations under the OHS Act.

Appointment structure

Support with the Section 16.2 appointment framework and supporting appointments.

Committees and representatives

Establishing health and safety representatives and committees under Sections 17 to 19.

DSE and ergonomic assessments

For office, home, and hybrid workers.

Group compliance coordination

Aligning South African obligations with a single multi-jurisdiction compliance system.

Book a Free Gap Analysis Call

Book a free gap analysis call with one of our Qualified health and safety consultants. In 30 minutes, we will assess your current arrangements, identify the compliance gaps that matter most including the Section 16.2 appointment structure, and give you a clear recommendation and indicative cost.

Book My Free Gap Analysis Call +44 (0)20 7947 9581

OUR PROVEN SYSTEM

How Arinite's Health and Safety Consultants
Transform Your Compliance

From Reactive Firefighting to Proactive Health & Safety Compliance

STAGE 1

REACTIVE(Where 60% of Businesses Operate)

No formal HSE systems in place. Everything is reactive, waiting for something to go wrong. Documentation is missing or outdated.

Why It's Dangerous:

✗£50K-£150K average fine when (not if) HSE inspects
✗Can't bid on contracts requiring HSE certification
✗One accident away from director prosecution

This isn't just "non-compliant." It's criminally negligent. Directors face personal prosecution.

STAGE 2

COMPLIANCE(Where Most Businesses Stop)

Basic HSE documentation is in place. Minimum legal requirements met. You can pass a basic audit.

Why It's Better (But Not Enough):

✓Legal protection (no fines if inspected)
✓Can bid on contracts requiring certification
✓Pass basic client audits
✗Still reactive (problems arise, then you respond)
✗Compliance maintained by one person (bottleneck)
✗Systems don't run themselves

Compliance is where most consultants get you, then leave. You're legal, but you're not optimised.

STAGE 3

PROACTIVE(Where Arinite Clients Operate)

Systems run proactively, preventing problems before they occur. Compliance is distributed, not dependent on one person.

Why It's Transformational:

✓Win more contracts (HSE certification opens doors)
✓Save 20+ hours/week (systems run themselves)
✓Peace of mind (sleep soundly, without the fear of prosecution)
✓Focus on your core business while we handle compliance

That's why 95%+ of clients renew year after year.

The Arinite Difference:

”

Robert Winsloe

Managing Director, Arinite

“We work with you to deliver peace of mind. We tailor our service provision to your business to provide proactive, pragmatic health and safety advice and that helps reduce costs by ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety legislation.”

Other Consultants

Get you to Stage 2 (Compliant) and disappear.

Arinite

Gets you to Stage 3 (Proactive) and keeps you there.

That's why we call it transformation, not just compliance.

CONSULTANTS + SOFTWARE

Where Health and Safety Consultants
Meet Compliance Software.
Globally.

Health & Safety Consultants+H&S Software+Arinite AI

Consultants+H&S Software+Arinite AI

Compliance

Traditional consultancies audit, report and leave. You get a document and the job of implementing it.

Control

Software companies give you dashboards and workflows without the knowledge to use them.

Coverage

Global businesses need consultants who know compliance in every jurisdiction.

Arinite

We are not a consultancy that adds external software. We are not a software company that recommends consultants.

We are the place where those two things finally become one.

GLOBAL LOCATIONS

Global Health and Safety Consultants.
International Compliance, Local Delivery.

50+ Countries. Global Safety. Local Trust.

50+ Countries

Headquartered in London, UK, with Qualified health and safety consultants in 50+ countries. Whether you need a health and safety audit in Manchester, a fire risk assessment in Birmingham, or outsourced workplace health and safety compliance in Singapore, we have consultants near you.

Don't see your location?

We're expanding globally

“

Brendan Tuite

Operations Director, Arinite

35+ Years Experience

50+ Countries Served

95%+ Client Retention

My Name Is Brendan Tuite.

I have been in the health and safety business for 35+ years. In that time, I have had one consistent experience across every sector and every country I have worked in.

Every business we speak to already knows, somewhere, that their workplace health and safety compliance has not kept pace with their growth. It is not ignorance. It is business. It is the assumption that because nothing has gone wrong yet, the gaps are probably manageable.

What stops most businesses from doing something about it is not the cost of outsourcing health and safety support. It is the fear of finding out how significant the gaps are.

The Free Gap Analysis Call exists for exactly that moment.

You get the full picture of your workplace health and safety position in 30 minutes.

“In 35+ years, I have not once had someone tell us they wished they had stayed in the dark.”

Book My Free Gap Analysis Call

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

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FAQ

Health and Safety in South Africa: Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the OHS Act 1993, Section 16.2 appointments, COIDA, and South African workplace safety compliance

Still Have Questions About Health & Safety Compliance?

Our Qualified health and safety consultants are here to help with any queries about workplace safety, compliance, or our services.

Get in Touch Call: +44 (0)20 7947 9581

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