Sparks Electrical News March 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT BY HANNES BAARD

A SUMMARY OF THE ELECTRICAL REGULATIONS

I am sure most of you have heard the adage, “the pen is mightier than the sword”. Well… I have come up against another one recent- ly: “four simple words can effortlessly stop a 40 ton excavator” and come to think of it, everything else in between mind you. Especially if what is written on that piece of paper is taken out of context and/ or misapprehended by the reader. These four words, namely, “health and safety file”, can make a multi-million infrastructure contract grind to a screeching halt. And can keep it in fetters for days, perhaps even weeks. So what has, what we were discussing in previous issues, got to do with the above, you might think? In fact, it has everything to do with it! The Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) and the Regulations that form part of the Act, forms the basis of the “health and safety file” I mentioned above. Suffice to say that, in today’s construction environment, the men- tioned “health and safety file” seems to be the be-all-and-end-all… Hopefully this “summary” of the section headings or “table of con- tents” of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Regulations, will go a long way to prevent you landing up in a situation where your lack of attention to the Act and/or the Regulations, might cause you or your company losing lots of money by being slapped in fetters by a health and safety agent or Department of Labour inspector. So let us continue. We have thus far looked at a summary of the 50 or so Sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) itself. Then we summarised the so called group of “General Regulations”. In this group we find the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces 1987, the Facilities Regulations 1990, the General Administrative Regulations 2003 and the General Health and Safety Regulations 1986. The next group we took a look at is the so called “Health related regulations”. In this group we find the Asbestos Regulations 2001, the Hazardous Biological Agent Regulations 2001, the Hazardous Chemi- cal Substances Regulations 1995, the Lead Regulations 2001 and the last of this group namely the Noise Induced Hearing Loss Regulations 2003. The next group we will take a look at, is the so called “Electrical Regulations”. What is interesting to note though, is that over the years (including the syllabus for the wireman’s licence), it changed to include not only these Electrical Regulations, but some of the Machinery Regulations too. The Electrical related Regulations group consists of:

or distribute electricity whether overhead or underground to the point of supply. • Personal protective equipment • Work on disconnected electrical machinery • Notices • Switchgear and transformer premises • Electrical control gear • Switchboards • Electrical machinery in hazardous locations • Portable electric tools • Portable electric lights • Electric fences • Issuing of electric fence system certificate • Application for registration as registered person • Withdrawal of registration and approval • Substitution of lost, damaged or destroyed certificate of registration • Inspection authorities • Earthing

Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 Scope of application:

These Regulations shall apply to every user or lesser of an electrical installation including Approved Inspection Authorities for Electrical Installations. 1. Definitions 2. Responsibility for electrical installations 3. Approved inspection authorities for electrical installations 4. Functions of approved inspection authorities for electrical installations 5. Design and construction 6. Electrical contractor 7. Certificate of compliance 8. Commencement and permission to connect installation work 9. Issuing of certificate of compliance 10. Disputes 11. Application for registration as a registered person 12. Withdrawal of registration and approval 13. Substitution of lost, damaged or destroyed certificate 14. Fees payable Annexure 1: The Certificate of Compliance Annexure 2: Application For approval as Approved Inspection Authority for Electrical Installations Annexure 3: Application for registration as Electrical Contractor Annexure 4: Notice of Commencement of Installation Work Annexure 5: Application for registration as Registered Person Annexure 6: Application for duplicate Certificate issued in terms of the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 Now this is where it gets interesting. If you look closely at the scope and various sections of the following Regulations, it is difficult to grasp how reputable merchants are able sell sub-standard components and equipment to the unsuspecting public. It appears our standards au- thorities are not keeping up the standards no more, necessitating the founding of organisations like Safe House. Also note that “off-grid” living is addressed too. Now on to the Electrical Machinery Regulations, 2011 Definitions • Scope of application: (1) These Regulations shall apply to the designers, manufacturers, installers, sellers, users, employers and suppliers who design, manufacture, install, sell, generate or use electrical machinery. (2) These Regulations shall apply to users who generate, transmit

• Overhead power lines • Service connections • Overhead line crossings • Bare conductors on premises • Fees payable

• Offences and penalties • Repeal of regulations • Short title Annexure 1: Electric Fence System Certificate of Compliance Annexure 2: Application for registration as an Electric Fence System Installer Annexure 3: Application for approval as an Approved Inspection Au- thority for Electrical Machinery So until next time, mind your health and safety Ps and Qs.

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DRONES: THERE IS A CATCH

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and advanced flight management systems flooded the market causing a whole new hype. These RPAS became trendy among kids, teens, yuppies, con- tractors and engineers. The South African Civil Aviation Authority took notice of these small buzzing cameras in the sky and became very worried. Their mandate is granted by the Department of Defence, and Civil Aviation

Before RPAS arrived in our skies, it was singularly concerned with manned aviation, and if that was not your job or you were not wealthy enough to take to the skies for fun, the closest you got to this game was when you went for a plane trip to Windhoek or Nelspruit to visit your family. Then, in a matter of a decade, affordable small model aircraft with cameras, reasonable battery life

must ensure that it stays safe and secure or risk military avia- tion removing their mandate and taking full control of the skies. Aviation incidents are deemed a matter of national security. These incidents are investigated by the Department of Defence, and all other Investigators must, by law, stop their investigations during an aviation related incident and stand back when the DoD arrives on the scene. The National Aviation Safety Board, with National Intelligence, and the Secret Service as board members, certainly were very concerned. How will these air- borne cameras affect personal privacy rights enshrined in the Constitution? How will a jet airplane in take-off respond to a direct impact on a turbine with the explosive battery of an RPAS? What about a low flying police helicopter or a fire fighting chopper connecting its propeller to the quadcopter of a curious teen? What is the possibility of a terrorist buying a cheap drone, loading it with Anthrax and set- ting it off on an automated flight

Credit: Franz Fuls

spinning blades? What if the safety officer decides to report the incident to Civil Aviation? What if this small quadcopter loses control, crashes in dry grass and sets it alight causing a Knysna-like in- cident? Will an insurance company honour a claim from an incident caused by criminal action? In our opinion, the risk of flying a drone/RPAS illegally is as great as sending an incompetent, un- qualified worker to perform switching in a substa- tion, maybe worse. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our busi- nesses, our employees and our clients to stay up to date with technology, and to make use of every opportunity that can add value. But we also have a responsibility to work safely and responsibly. Our families rely on us to come home every day, and not to get involved in activities that can potentially land us in jail. Franz Fuls is the managing director of Compact Aerial Services CAA/FOD/ROC00019, a graduate member of the South African Institute of Occupational Health and Safety and an Industrial Engineering Technologist.

path into a jam-packed Moses Mabhida stadium? In 2014, the Director of Civil Aviation grounded all drones/RPAS and in July 2015 the new regulations for RPAS were promulgated. Anyone who intends to use an RPAS for anything other than recreational purposes must obtain an RPAS Operator Certifi- cate (ROC) or work with an ROC Holder. The holder of an ROC takes immense responsibility for his or her aviation operation, equal to or more than that of a Competent Person under the General Machinery Regulations. Commercial pilots with an RPAS Pilots License (RPL) have but the right to be employed by an ROC holder – they may not fly independently. Civil Aviation audits these ROC holders regularly and checks their compliance to the Aviation Act and its regulations. Flying a quadcopter for any- thing other than recreational purposes without an ROC is a crime that can result in imprisonment. Many illegal operators exist. Many believe they will not get caught. Some very influential busi- ness tycoons in South Africa’s recent history also thought they would not get caught. But what if something goes wrong? What if a small drone used on a construction site loses con- trol and scars a construction worker with its fast

Enquiries: www.compactaerial.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018