MNO2603
Assignment 4
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS)
Semester 1 2024
(340595) - DUE 8
May 2024 ;100%
TRUSTED
ADMIN
[COMPANY NAME]
, New regulations aim to make work life safer and more comfortable for South
African employees The Department of Labour has launched new ergonomic
regulations which aim to prevent occupational diseases and injuries relating to
ergonomic hazards in South African workplaces. Ergonomics is the study of
how humans interact with man-made objects. The goal of ergonomics is to
create an environment that is well-suited to a user’s physical needs – which
subsequently affects things like morale and performance, and reduces
chances of injury or harm. South Africa’s new regulations around this concept
will require employers to implement a programme to control the exposure of
employees – and other people affected by their actions – to ergonomic
hazards. The department’s definition of ergonomic risks is quite broad, saying
it is “a characteristic or action in the workplace, work place conditions, or a
combination thereof that may impair overall system performance and human
well-being”. Some ergonomic risks in the workplace that have been identified
by safety regulation specialists include: Heavy lifting; Repetitive, strenuous or
awkward movements; Improperly adjusted workstations and chairs; Driving for
long periods without break. According to Labour minister Thulas Nxesi, the
new regulations are not a stand-alone programme, but rather another aspect
to be incorporated into the employer’s already existing health and safety
programmes. “The regulations also place duties on designers, manufacturers,
importers and suppliers. This aims to eliminate, or reduce, ergonomic hazards
in the early stages of designing systems and equipment, rather than trying to
find a solution once there is a final product,” he said. Department of
Employment and Labour chief inspector Tibor Szana said most of the
accidents in the world of work were caused by failure to adhere to
ergonomics. Szana said the department has in partnership with Rhodes
University trained a team of 30 inspectors to enforce the regulations.
MNO2603 ASSESSMENT 4 2024 5 Who do the regulations apply to? The
regulations – which were promulgated in December 2019 – are intended to
act as a guide to all employers, employees and the public, who are concerned
with the control and prevention of exposure to ergonomic risks in the
workplace. The Department of Labour said that the regulations will apply to
any employer or self-employed person who carries out work at a workplace,
which may expose any person to ergonomic risks in that workplace; and a
designer, manufacturer, importer or supplier of machinery, plant or work
systems for use at a workplace. “They entail details regarding the instruction
and training; the duties of persons who may be at risk of exposure to
ergonomic risks; duties of designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers;
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