Workplace Risk Assessments in South Africa: A Practical Guide

A safer workplace starts with understanding what could go wrong and taking sensible steps to prevent harm.

Whether you manage an office, warehouse, construction site, workshop or other working environment, a workplace risk assessment can help you identify hazards, understand who could be affected and decide which controls are needed.

In South Africa, the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 is a central part of the legal framework for workplace health and safety. The Department of Employment and Labour also provides guidance on identifying hazards, evaluating risks and implementing appropriate controls.

This practical guide explains the basic process and how organisations can approach it more systematically.

What Is a Workplace Risk Assessment?

A workplace risk assessment is a structured process for examining work activities and identifying potential sources of injury or ill health.

Two important terms are:

Hazard: Something with the potential to cause injury, illness or other harm.
Risk: The possibility of harm occurring, considering factors such as how likely an event is and how serious its consequences could be.

For example, a damaged electrical cable is a potential hazard. The risk depends on the circumstances, including whether someone could contact exposed conductors and what protective measures are in place.

The purpose of an assessment is not simply to complete a form. It is to help people make informed decisions about preventing harm.

Why Are Risk Assessments Important?

A structured assessment can help an organisation:

Identify hazards before they cause incidents.
Recognise workers and other people who may be affected.
Prioritise the risks that need attention.
Choose appropriate measures to eliminate or reduce risks.
Assign responsibility for corrective actions.
Monitor whether safety measures are working as intended.

The assessment should reflect the actual work being performed, not just what appears on a checklist.

How to Carry Out a Practical Risk Assessment

1. Define the work activity

Start by identifying the workplace, task, equipment or process you need to assess.

Consider normal operations as well as maintenance, cleaning, deliveries, equipment changes and other activities that might introduce additional hazards.

2. Identify the hazards

Observe the work environment, inspect relevant equipment and speak to people who perform the work.

Possible hazards include:

Slips, trips and falls.
Moving vehicles or machinery.
Electrical hazards and fire risks.
Exposure to chemicals, dust or other harmful substances.
Manual handling and awkward working positions.
Work at height.
Poor workstation design or repetitive tasks.

The hazards will differ between workplaces. An office assessment, for example, may need to consider ergonomics and electrical safety, while a warehouse may also need to consider vehicle movements and storage arrangements.

3. Identify who could be harmed

Think beyond the person performing the task.

Depending on the workplace, people affected could include employees, contractors, visitors, customers and members of the public.

Consider how they might be exposed, including whether particular workers need additional protection because of their duties, experience or circumstances.

4. Evaluate the risks

Examine the likelihood of harm and the potential severity of the consequences, taking existing controls into account.

A workplace may use a risk matrix or another consistent method to prioritise risks. The chosen method should be appropriate to the activities being assessed and any applicable requirements.

Where several hazards are present, prioritise the ones requiring the most urgent attention rather than treating every item as equally important.

5. Decide how to control the risks

Choose measures that address the hazards as effectively as reasonably practicable.

Depending on the situation, these could include:

Elimination: Remove the hazard.
Substitution: Replace a hazardous material, process or item with a safer alternative where appropriate.
Engineering controls: Use physical barriers, guarding or other design measures to reduce exposure.
Administrative controls: Establish suitable procedures, instructions, supervision and training.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): Provide and use suitable protective equipment where required.

Do not automatically rely on warnings, training or PPE when a more effective control is practical. The appropriate combination depends on the hazard and workplace conditions.

6. Create an action plan

If improvements are needed, record what must be done, who is responsible and when the action should be completed.

Also consider the resources needed and how the organisation will check that the new control is effective.

An identified hazard is not properly addressed merely because it has been written into a risk assessment.

7. Communicate, record and review

Share relevant findings with the people who need to understand them. Keep appropriate records and check whether controls continue to work.

Revisit the assessment when circumstances change, such as when equipment, materials or work processes are altered, or when an incident reveals that existing measures may be inadequate. Reviews should also take place in line with applicable requirements and workplace procedures.

Common Risk Assessment Mistakes to Avoid

Treating the assessment as paperwork: A document is useful only if the findings lead to meaningful action.

Ignoring workers’ experience: Employees often know about practical hazards that may not be obvious during a short inspection.

Focusing only on obvious dangers: Less visible hazards, such as repeated awkward movements, dust exposure or poor ventilation, can also matter.

Choosing weak controls too quickly: Do not assume that a warning sign or a reminder to be careful is always sufficient.

Failing to follow up: Assigning an action without checking whether it was completed leaves the underlying risk unresolved.

A Simple Example: Warehouse Vehicle Movements

Imagine a warehouse where forklifts and pedestrians use the same area.

The assessment could identify vehicle movement as a hazard, identify workers and visitors who could be affected, and evaluate the circumstances in which a collision could occur.

Depending on the assessment, controls might include clearly separated pedestrian routes, physical barriers where appropriate, improved visibility, suitable traffic-management procedures and properly managed vehicle operations.

The organisation would then assign responsibility for implementing the controls and check whether they are working. This example illustrates the process; it is not a complete assessment for every warehouse.

When Should You Seek Additional Support?

The complexity of a risk assessment depends on the work, the hazards and the level of risk involved. Some situations require specialist knowledge, measurements or advice from appropriately competent people.

Where your team needs to strengthen its knowledge of hazard identification and risk assessment, structured training can be one part of a broader workplace safety approach.

OHS Compliance Institute welcomes enquiries from individuals and organisations interested in Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment training. Contact us to discuss the options that may suit your requirements.

Useful Official Resources

For further reading, consult:

Important: This article is intended for general information and awareness. It is not a legal opinion or a substitute for a workplace-specific risk assessment, professional advice or verification of current legislation, regulations and applicable industry requirements.