Compliance hub
The Ergonomics Regulations, decoded.
Everything a South African employer needs to understand the duty – written by members of the technical committee developing the official industry guidelines.
Your duties at a glance
Risk assessment
Have ergonomics risks identified and assessed by a competent person, and keep the assessment current.
Controls
Implement and maintain control measures for identified risks – engineering first, then administrative.
Training
Provide ergonomics training to all employees exposed to ergonomics risks.
Medical surveillance
Where risk assessment indicates, place exposed employees under appropriate medical surveillance.
Records
Keep records of assessments, controls and training – your proof when the inspector arrives.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Regulations apply to offices?
Yes. The Regulations apply to all employers under the OHS Act – desk work carries real ergonomics risk (screen work, sedentiary load, workstation setup), and banks, insurers and call centres are firmly in scope.
What happens if we’re not compliant?
The Department of Employment & Labour is actively inspecting. Consequences range from contravention notices and improvement directive to prohibition notices and prosecution. More practically: an unarranged ergonomics risk profile shows up in your injury, absenteeism and productivity number long before inspector does.
Can our safety officer do the risk assessment?
Only if they meet the Regulations’ competent-person definition for ergonomics – appropriate knowledge, training and experience in ergonomics specifically. Most generalist safety practitioners don’t, which is exactly why the definition exists.
Where do the industry guidelines stand?
Guideline documents for various industries are being developed by the DoEL’s Ergonomics Technical Committee – on which our MD serves. Watching this space is literally our job.
Ergonomics Regulations readiness checklist
A practical self-check against every duty in the Regulations – free from the team on the DoEL technical committee
Key Instruments
Let’s scope your next step this week.
A 20-minute call with a certified ergonomist – no obligations, a clear proposal within days.