OHS in 2025: Are You Compliant or Just Hoping for the Best?

 



OHS in 2025: Are You Compliant or Just Hoping for the Best?

The alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. on a chilly Tuesday morning. Thando, a newly appointed Safety Officer at a food processing plant in Paarl, was already wide awake—scrolling through updates about the latest amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

His stomach turned as he read:
“Failure to implement the new OHS regulations in 2025 could result in criminal liability for CEOs and Directors.”

“Criminal?” he muttered.
This wasn’t just about clipboards and checklists anymore.

🛑 The Myth of “We’ve Always Done It This Way”

Thando’s first week was eye-opening. He found outdated safety files, no record of recent risk assessments, and supervisors who said things like:

“We’ve never had a serious injury here. Why fix what’s not broken?”

But in 2025, complacency is a risk all on its own.

That same month, a nearby packaging company was fined R1.2 million after a machine guard was removed for “faster production.” A worker lost two fingers. The company hadn’t updated its safety protocols in three years—and their CEO was personally held liable under the new duty-of-care provisions.

📚 Case Study: Reactive Doesn’t Cut It Anymore

In 2024, a construction company in Durban was taken to court after a scaffolding collapse killed a subcontractor. Their defence?
“He wasn’t our employee.”

But under the OHS Amendment Bill, all persons affected by a company’s work environment—staff, contractors, even visitors—are now covered under a broadened duty of care.

The ruling was brutal:

  • Company fined R3 million

  • Managing director sentenced to 2 years (suspended)

  • Mandatory public disclosure

This was the wake-up call the industry didn’t see coming.

🔍 What’s Changed in 2025?

OHS in South Africa has moved from paper to people. Here’s what employers can’t ignore anymore:

✅ Directors and CEOs are personally accountable
✅ Worker representation is now enforceable, not optional
✅ Mental health and ergonomic risks are now part of HIRA assessments
✅ Contractors and temps must be included in safety plans
✅ Whistleblower protections have been strengthened

👷🏽‍♀️ So… Are You Compliant? Or Just Hoping?

Thando didn’t wait. He:

  • Held a toolbox talk on the new regulations

  • Re-did the HIRA with his team (including shop-floor input)

  • Reported to management on non-compliance risks in plain language

  • Created a ‘speak up safely’ WhatsApp line for staff concerns

He wasn’t just ticking boxes. He was protecting lives, livelihoods, and leadership.

💡 What Have We Learned?

  • Compliance is no longer optional—it’s personal

  • A proactive culture is your best defence

  • Hope is not a strategy. Systems are.

  • #OHS2025 #WorkplaceSafety #Compliance #SafetyLeadership #HR #RiskManagement #SouthAfricaWorkplace #OSHAct #HealthAndSafety

Leslie







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