Adherence to Occupational Health and Safety Standards: The Case of a South African Steel Processing Company

Abstract

Occupational accidents bring with them serious problems, both financial and non-financial, 
for employees as well as organisations. The purpose of this study was to investigate adherence to health and safety standards in a selected steel processing company in South Africa. A quantitative survey approach was used in which a structured questionnaire was administered to a purposively selected sample composed of 165 employees from a steel processing company based in the Gauteng province. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0). The results of the study confirm that employees in the selected steel processing company are satisfied with the degree of adherence to health and safety standards. Employees felt that the company has in place various rewards which are offered to employees whenever they successfully follow health and safety rules. The study further revealed that the labour union in the company participates actively in health and safety issues and that its recommendations are taken seriously by the company. Finally, employees are satisfied with the workplace surroundings in areas such as ventilation, room temperature, lighting and hygiene. Conclusions drawn from the study and recommendations are discussed.