Health risk management cost items imposed by Occupational Health and Safety Regulations: A South African perspective

Abstract

The health regulations within the South African Occupational Health and Safety Act enjoins employers to institute various health risk management initiatives, in the form of occupational health programmes which carry compliance costs for implementing companies, often unknown to both internal and external stakeholders. Consequently, this study sought to identify the cost items related to the provision and implementation of these programmes, which, when comprehensively and effectively implemented, can transcribe to legal compliance and eschew occupational disease pervasiveness. Document analysis of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its attending health-Regulations through the READ approach was used to extract associated cost items. The analysis considered the general cost aspects provided for in the Act, as well as occupational hygiene and occupational medicine aspects specified within these health-related regulations. The analysis established that health risk management for legally defined occupational health programme activities carries definite recurring or once-off compliance costs for regulated companies. These compliance costs are a function of the presence and extent of prevailing hazards and risk types in a company. This cost item identification study serves as a prelude to further studies investigating company compliance costs with occupational health and safety laws. Specifically, it is a stepping stone for cost analysis, which Occupational Hygienists can used as a tool for stating compelling business cases motivating for increase spending directed towards occupational disease prevention at the workplace.