**Fostering Collaborative Strategies for Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety in South Africa**

The primary goal of the three-day conference on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) organized by the South African Department of Employment and Labour in Durban is to ensure continuous improvement and responsive policies enforced through strategic collaboration by the inspectorate. The conference aims to exchange best practices and foster stakeholder collaboration across multiple sectors, including the informal economy, by creating an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation to spur the development of innovative solutions to OHS challenges, ultimately contributing to the nation’s broader social and economic objectives.

What is the South African Conference on Occupational Health and Safety?

The South African Department of Employment and Labour is organizing a three-day conference on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) at the Coastlands Hotel in Durban. The conference aims to exchange best practices, foster stakeholder collaboration, and examine OHS technical cooperation across multiple sectors, including the informal economy. Its primary goal is to ensure continuous improvement and responsive policies enforced through strategic collaboration by the inspectorate.

South African Conference on Occupational Health and Safety

The Department of Employment and Labour in South Africa is organizing a three-day conference focusing on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) at the Coastlands Hotel in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The event, scheduled for 7-9 November 2023, is designed to gather various stakeholders and media representatives to discuss and engage in OHS-related matters. The conference’s primary goal is to exchange best practices, foster stakeholder collaboration, and examine OHS technical cooperation across multiple sectors, including the informal economy.

The South African government is diligently working towards meeting the National Development Plan (NDP) objectives, which include ensuring long, healthy lives for its citizens and generating decent employment through inclusive economic growth. As a result, OHS has been incorporated as the fifth principle in the International Labour Organization’s fundamental rights and principles at work. This inclusion requires the Department to address and inform stakeholders about this crucial element.

The Department of Employment and Labour’s commitment to these objectives is backed by the Inspections and Enforcement Services Branch, encompassing four strategic pillars: capacity building and development, advocacy, inspection, and enforcement. Consequently, the OHS strategy aligns with these strategic pillars through five strategic result areas: comprehensive and effective legislation and policy, advocacy, communication, cooperation, capacity building and development, labor inspection and enforcement, OHS management systems, preventive risk management at enterprises, and strategic data collection through proactive research.

Key Objectives and Thematic Focus of the Conference

The theme of the conference is “Collaboration and Strategic Approach to enhance decent work in an evolving world of work.” It has two primary objectives: encouraging stakeholders to exchange best practices and experiences in implementing preventative measures and examining the potential for OHS technical cooperation among various stakeholders, including the informal economy. Achieving these objectives necessitates a systematic approach and a collective commitment from all participants to ensure continuous improvement and responsive policies enforced through strategic collaboration by the inspectorate.

Given the significance of collaboration in addressing OHS challenges, the conference’s objective is to gather experts and innovators to exchange experiences and solutions. The rationale behind this event is to promote sustained improvements in OHS through long-term collaboration and strategic partnerships, ultimately realizing the vision of decent work in an evolving world.

A pre-conference networking session is scheduled for 6 November 2023, with all media representatives invited to attend. The main conference will take place from 7-9 November 2023 at the Coastlands on the Ridge, Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. To ensure the availability of resources and information for attendees, transportation will be provided upon request on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Importance and Impact of the OHS Conference

The significance of the OHS conference stems from its role as a platform for representatives from various sectors – government, industry, and academia – to exchange ideas and formulate strategies for improving OHS in South Africa. By creating an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation, the conference aims to spur the development of innovative solutions to OHS challenges, ultimately contributing to the nation’s broader social and economic objectives.

Addressing OHS challenges through collaboration and strategic partnerships allows South Africa to achieve sustained improvements in OHS, benefiting not only its workforce but also the nation as a whole. The OHS conference represents a crucial step towards realizing this goal by bringing together stakeholders to exchange ideas, experiences, and strategies for enhancing OHS in an ever-changing world of work.

1. When and where is the South African Conference on Occupational Health and Safety?

The conference is scheduled for 7-9 November 2023, and it will be held at the Coastlands Hotel in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

2. What is the goal of the conference?

The primary goal of the conference is to ensure continuous improvement and responsive policies enforced through strategic collaboration by the inspectorate. It aims to exchange best practices and foster stakeholder collaboration across multiple sectors, including the informal economy.

3. Who is organizing the conference?

The South African Department of Employment and Labour is organizing the conference.

4. Who can attend the conference?

Representatives from various sectors, including government, industry, and academia, are invited to attend the conference. Media representatives are also invited to attend the pre-conference networking session.

5. What is the thematic focus of the conference?

The thematic focus of the conference is “Collaboration and Strategic Approach to enhance decent work in an evolving world of work.”

6. What are the key objectives of the conference?

The key objectives of the conference are to encourage stakeholders to exchange best practices and experiences in implementing preventative measures and to examine the potential for OHS technical cooperation among various stakeholders, including the informal economy.

7. How will the conference impact OHS in South Africa?

By creating an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation, the conference aims to spur the development of innovative solutions to OHS challenges, ultimately contributing to the nation’s broader social and economic objectives. Addressing OHS challenges through collaboration and strategic partnerships allows South Africa to achieve sustained improvements in OHS, benefiting not only its workforce but also the nation as a whole.

8. What is the significance of OHS in South Africa?

OHS is a crucial element in meeting the National Development Plan objectives of ensuring long, healthy lives for its citizens and generating decent employment through inclusive economic growth. As a result, OHS has been incorporated as the fifth principle in the International Labour Organization’s fundamental rights and principles at work.