Assessment of Occupational Health and Safety Standards of Employees Working for Water Programme in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province

Occupational health and safety have become a worldwide concern, particularly for those who operate in outdoor settings, and despite global attempts to address workplace safety and health issues, millions of work-related deaths occur yearly.

The study assessed the occupational health and safety standards of the Working for Water employees in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

The study was conducted in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality. A quantitative, descriptive research design was adopted. A total population sample size was used since there are only a few workers in the Working for Water (WfW) programme in Tzaneen. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with open and close-ended questions, and ethical concerns were considered. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0.

The results showed that most respondents (63.6%) were male workers, indicating that females are underrepresented in the WfW programme; the age group with the highest rate of respondents was the 31-35 years age group, at 50%. The findings revealed that employees were not taken for medical examination before and during their working period and that minimum or no training was being provided so that they could be fully equipped for the work. The chi-square test was statistically significant, as it indicated that the education level obtained influenced respondents’ awareness of the potential hazards associated with radiation (P=0.003, df =2).

Data showed that the WfW project gave little attention to Occupational Health and Safety practices. The researcher, therefore, recommends that the WfW project should prioritize occupational safety management practices. In addition, employees should understand that safety and health practices are the responsibility of both management and staff, as this is the only way to increase safety in the work environment.