Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting
The quality of education is significantly influenced by occupational health and safety (OHS) measures. To this end, a safety incident at a university could have far-reaching negative effects on facilitating teaching and learning for both lecturers and students. Although OHS standards are widely esta...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Safety |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/11/2/34 |
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| author | Ntombenhle Mtikitiki Benett Siyabonga Madonsela Thabang Maphanga Karabo Shale Xolisiwe Sinalo Grangxabe Tshidi Mokgatsane Baloyi |
| author_facet | Ntombenhle Mtikitiki Benett Siyabonga Madonsela Thabang Maphanga Karabo Shale Xolisiwe Sinalo Grangxabe Tshidi Mokgatsane Baloyi |
| author_sort | Ntombenhle Mtikitiki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The quality of education is significantly influenced by occupational health and safety (OHS) measures. To this end, a safety incident at a university could have far-reaching negative effects on facilitating teaching and learning for both lecturers and students. Although OHS standards are widely established in numerous industries, they are often overlooked in the academic setting. It is for this reason that, to date, research gap exists in OHS systems in academic settings. While universities primarily focus on education, they also pose significant health and safety risks to staff and students due to their design and setup. Effective implementation of an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) within universities can mitigate these risks. However, there is a notable lack of research focusing on the efficiency of OHSMS in South African universities. This study, therefore, aimed to fill this gap by assessing the efficiency of the OHSMS at a South African university. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis qualitative research methods. Data analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis approach. Inductive logic was used in the interpretation of the current study results. This study highlights that while there is strong awareness of the OHS Act 85 of 1993 (>90%) among university staff, significant gaps exist in the communication and enforcement (5%) of OHS policy, alongside the poor communication of hazards and risks (30%). Amongst other challenges are infrastructure maintenance (>35%), as well as the lack of standard operation procedures (>5%). To address some of these setbacks, the current study recommends enhancing policy communication, conducting regular hazard assessments, increasing training participation, and improving documentation practices. These steps aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the university’s OHSMS, ensuring a safer environment for all stakeholders. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-050d67f39f3f40188aec7acddf1f6675 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2313-576X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-050d67f39f3f40188aec7acddf1f66752025-08-20T03:29:44ZengMDPI AGSafety2313-576X2025-04-011123410.3390/safety11020034Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University SettingNtombenhle Mtikitiki0Benett Siyabonga Madonsela1Thabang Maphanga2Karabo Shale3Xolisiwe Sinalo Grangxabe4Tshidi Mokgatsane Baloyi5Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Corner of Hanover and Tennant Street, Zonnebloem, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Corner of Hanover and Tennant Street, Zonnebloem, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Corner of Hanover and Tennant Street, Zonnebloem, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Postgraduate Studies and Postdoctoral Fellowships, Dikeni 5700, Eastern Cape, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Corner of Hanover and Tennant Street, Zonnebloem, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Corner of Hanover and Tennant Street, Zonnebloem, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaThe quality of education is significantly influenced by occupational health and safety (OHS) measures. To this end, a safety incident at a university could have far-reaching negative effects on facilitating teaching and learning for both lecturers and students. Although OHS standards are widely established in numerous industries, they are often overlooked in the academic setting. It is for this reason that, to date, research gap exists in OHS systems in academic settings. While universities primarily focus on education, they also pose significant health and safety risks to staff and students due to their design and setup. Effective implementation of an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) within universities can mitigate these risks. However, there is a notable lack of research focusing on the efficiency of OHSMS in South African universities. This study, therefore, aimed to fill this gap by assessing the efficiency of the OHSMS at a South African university. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis qualitative research methods. Data analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis approach. Inductive logic was used in the interpretation of the current study results. This study highlights that while there is strong awareness of the OHS Act 85 of 1993 (>90%) among university staff, significant gaps exist in the communication and enforcement (5%) of OHS policy, alongside the poor communication of hazards and risks (30%). Amongst other challenges are infrastructure maintenance (>35%), as well as the lack of standard operation procedures (>5%). To address some of these setbacks, the current study recommends enhancing policy communication, conducting regular hazard assessments, increasing training participation, and improving documentation practices. These steps aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the university’s OHSMS, ensuring a safer environment for all stakeholders.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/11/2/34occupational health and safetyoccupational health and safety management systemuniversityoccupational health and safety ACT |
| spellingShingle | Ntombenhle Mtikitiki Benett Siyabonga Madonsela Thabang Maphanga Karabo Shale Xolisiwe Sinalo Grangxabe Tshidi Mokgatsane Baloyi Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting Safety occupational health and safety occupational health and safety management system university occupational health and safety ACT |
| title | Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting |
| title_full | Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting |
| title_fullStr | Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting |
| title_short | Occupational Health and Safety Management System of a South African University Setting |
| title_sort | occupational health and safety management system of a south african university setting |
| topic | occupational health and safety occupational health and safety management system university occupational health and safety ACT |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/11/2/34 |
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