The Master Builders Association North (MBA North) region has announced the winners of its prestigious annual regional Safety Competition, which recognises best practice in construction site safety.
The awards form part of broader efforts by MBA North and sponsors Federated Employers Mutual (FEM) to improve safety in the construction industry, and provides a platform from which companies can benchmark their Health and Safety (H&S) Management Systems and implementation against other companies in the region and nationally.
Due to the nature of construction work, workers are exposed to multiple risks. In 2018 alone, FEM statistics indicate that 22 fatal accidents occurred and 14,435 days were lost due to accidents on-site across the MBA North region, with the most common on-site injuries including amputations, penetrating injuries, broken bones, joint and muscle injuries and superficial wounds including burns and scalds. Motor vehicle accidents, including accidents involving vehicles transporting workers to the site and accidents involving roadside flag bearers, are the largest cause of construction-related fatalities (with 8 in the region last year), followed by ‘struck by’ accidents (9 fatalities in the region last year) and falling from heights (3 in the region last year).
Herman Enoch, marketing and communications manager at FEM, says FEM works closely with MBA North to promote construction sector safety best practice. “With 80 fatalities nationwide last year, safety on site is still a significant concern,” he says. “The major contractors and sub-contractors are committed to health and safety, but unfortunately we still see far too many self-employed ‘bakkie builders’ taking chances on site.”
By participating in the safety competition, companies verify their compliance with relevant legislation and best practices in the industry. Participants in the competition are registered MBA North members and FEM policy holders, and sites were audited by MBA North H&S lead auditors. Gerhard Roets, H&S auditor for MBA North, says the region is fortunate to have sufficient resources to allocate one auditor per category, which ensures audits are consistent across each category. He audited 25 sites, with Michelle Kok auditing 13; and Manie Van As auditing 18.
Of the 66 entries received, the MBA North H&S auditors assessed 56 qualifying entries across Gauteng, as well as in Vryburg and Rustenburg in North West Province, Barberton and Ermelo in Mpumalanga Province, and Polokwane in Limpopo Province.
The winner of the Federated Employers Mutual (FEM) trophy in Category I for projects of over R750 million plus was WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd for its River Creek Deloitte project. Auditor Gerhard Roets says the project stood out with a zero disabling injury frequency rate: “For a project of that magnitude, this is quite impressive,” he says. “The contractor and sub-contractors all have a strong health and safety culture – from the top all the way down.” WBHO Construction was also named the winner in three other categories: R100 million to R250 million category for the Steyn City High School Phase 2; the R250 million to R450 million category for Pretoria Head & Neck Hospital and the R450 million to R750 million category for the Trilogy Collection project.
Belo & Kies Construction won two awards for its Toyota projects – taking awards in the R15 million to R40 million category for Toyota Vryburg; and the R40 million to R100 million category for Toyota Polokwane. In Category B2 – Manufacturers, ER Signs & Safety Springs Workshop was named the 2019 winner, having won the category both in the region and at the MBSA National awards in 2018.
Roets, who has played a role in auditing the competition for the past ten years, says the calibre of entries was exceptionally high this year, an indication of good progress being made in health and safety among MBA North members in recent years. “Contractors and sub-contractors take health and safety very seriously, as do their large customers,” he says. “This competition helps both to raise safety awareness and to highlight those companies focused on H&S best practice.”
At the Awards Ceremony on 17 July at the Altron Conference Centre in Midrand, the following winners were announced:
Category A – Plant & Storage Yards: PROBUILD Construction (Pty) Ltd
Category B1 – Allied Trades: PERI Formwork Scaffolding Engineering (Pty) Ltd – Polokwane Branch
Category B2 – Manufacturers: ER Signs & Safety – Springs Workshop
Category D – R15m to R40m: Belo & Kies Construction (Pty) Ltd – Toyota Vryburg
Category E – R40m to R100m: Belo & Kies Construction (Pty) Ltd – Toyota Polokwane
Category F – R100m to R250m: WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd – Steyn City High School Phase 2
Category G – R250m to R450m: WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd – Pretoria Head & Neck Hospital
Category H – R450m to R750m: WBHO Construction (PTY) Ltd Trilogy Collection
Category I – R750m plus: WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd – River Creek Deloitte
Best Sub Contractor with Site Establishment: Malinga Scaffolding (Pty) Ltd – Safeways Mall
Best Sub Contractor without Site Establishment: MFS Electronic Projects (Pty) Ltd – 144 Oxford Road
Special Nominations:
Best Performing Client Agent of the Year: Danie Jansen Van Vuuren from Cairnmead Industrial Consultants
Best Performing Construction Manager of the Year: Christian Fourie from WTJV
Best Performing Construction Supervisor of the Year: Jean Le Roux from WBHO Construction
Best Performing Health & Safety Manager of the Year: Mark John from WBHO Construction
Best Performing Health & Safety Officer of the Year: Jacques Steyn from Belo & Kies Construction
Best Performing Health & Safety Representative of the Year: Siyanda Mathebula from WBHO Construction