More specifically, workplace health and safety compliance is derived from the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) 85 of 1993. Regulatory compliance describes the goals that organisations aspire to achieve in ensuring they are aware and have taken the necessary steps to comply with OHSA, and all other relevant laws, policies and regulations.
Health and safety compliance is a crucial and prevalent business concern due to the number of regulations requiring vigilance from organisations. This involves a full understanding of regulatory compliance and forces employers to ensure that compliance is monitored and maintained.
Many organisations often have the idea that health and safety compliance either does not apply to them, or that only a certain portion may apply. However, the Occupational Health and Safety Act applies to everyone regardless of the organisation’s industry, size or nature of business.
Each organisation, however, depending on their industry, may have different OHS strategies, but it remains imperative for all legitimate businesses to ensure they have an effective and adequate safety plan and system in place.
The purpose that health and safety compliance serves is to ensure that employees are provided with a healthy and safe working environment, free from harm or the potential thereof. It also involves the implementation of the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being of employees and visitors to the premises. Furthermore, health and safety compliance also involves the efforts of the employer to prevent adverse health issues, illnesses, diseases and injuries from occurring as a result of working conditions or the working environment.
Health and safety compliance equips employees with the necessary skills and abilities to safeguard their own health and safety and that of those who work alongside them. When workplace health and safety is effectively implemented, it reduces and even prevents incidents. Furthermore, it can directly lead to an increase in productivity, employee morale and overall job satisfaction. 
Why must employers address health and safety compliance?
Health and safety compliance is known to benefit both the employer and their employees. There are numerous benefits, some of which are:
- Decreased employee turnover and absenteeism
- Improved employee morale
- Increased productivity and job satisfaction
- Fewer injuries and less compensation
- Reduce costs towards healthcare, insurance, fines and litigation
- Improved corporate image, culture and reputation.
How is ROI linked to health and safety compliance?
Many businesses may be unsure as to how health and safety compliance and associated OHS strategies can work to improve the bottom line of the business. This can be seen in realised savings and substantial cost reductions from occupational health and safety failures, resulting in several positive impacts on both employee productivity and the corporate image of the organisation. Even though these factors do not appear in the ledger book of the organisation, they can be observed in many other areas.
When there is an effective OHS plan in place and the organisation is compliant, it means the difference between winning or losing contract bids. A subscription to SafetyWallet’s unique services and solutions, and effective health and safety compliance, has shown an improvement in the returns on investments (ROI) of numerous organisations. Therefore, there is no excuse as to why employers cannot effectively address OHS best practice by investing in a SafetyWallet subscription. Subscribers are armed with the necessary tools and support they need to become fully compliant.
What are the must-haves in health and safety compliance?
There are numerous considerations and an extensive list of must-haves that organisations must obtain, but the health and safety of employees must be at the forefront of all business decisions. Organisations may face many challenges on the road to becoming more compliant; however, employers must make concerted efforts to ensure compliance. Some of the must-haves are as follows:
- Easy access to a copy of the OHS Act – according to law, employees must have access to a copy of the Act.
- Proper PPE – in wearing the correct PPE, physical harm as a result of an accident or incident may be reduced.
- Maintenance on machines – the employer must frequently schedule maintenance on machines and equipment to ensure it stays in safe working condition.
- Access to machinery – effective measures must be in place to prevent unauthorised access to machines and equipment.
- Safety training – the employer must ensure job-specific training and basic training covering first aid, fire-fighting and several others.
- Health and safety officers – qualified and competent persons must be appointed to ensure health and safety compliance.
- Injury on duty (IOD) reports – if an injury occurs while an employee is on duty, an IOD form must be completed and submitted to the relevant parties.
Health and safety policies – these must cover the goals and principles of the organisation relating to health and safety. 
