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South Africa's fuel sector under scrutiny: Why stricter safety measures are crucial
The transport and handling of fuel come with immense risk to people and infrastructure, highlighting the need for the highest level of safety. Although South Africa has strong environmental and safety laws, they require stronger and more consistent enforcement.
Image credit: Ethan Tu on Pexels
Inconsistent enforcement
The main acts in South Africa that govern safety standards in handling fuel are the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, which are overseen by the Department of Employment and Labour, and the National Environmental Management Act, which is overseen by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
All this legislation covers safety, health, the environment and sustainability. There are also relevant industry standards.
South Africa has world-class environmental legislation, but workable solutions have to be found to apply it to complex businesses like fuel import, transport and supply.
It can be challenging to apply different legislation in specific working environments.
Enforcement of the regulations by the responsible government departments is not uniform.
As a result, a business needs to acquire a greater understanding of the applicability and execution of the regulations through building sound relationships with government officials and using industry expertise to help manage compliance with risk standards.
In March, the Department of Employment and Labour gazetted new regulations under the OHSA.
These regulations are intended to protect the health and safety of workers exposed to occupational physical stressors such as heat or cold, vibration, radiation, illumination and excessive noise.
They also updated the list of hazardous substances and reduced exposure limits.
We believe two aspects are particularly relevant for fuel retailers.
The first is that they should be aware of how the safety regulations apply to their day-to-day operations, since they are accountable and responsible for safe operations at the fuel station. the forecourt.
The second is the amendment that broadens responsibility for safety in construction.
The need for this amendment was highlighted by the collapse of a five-storey building under construction in George in 2024, which killed 34 people on site.
The amendments place responsibility for safety on all those involved in the design, construction and approval of construction sites and buildings.
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The importance of compliance
Fuel retailers and franchisees need to comply with regulations.
This entails selecting partners with the right mindset and preparing them to operate the fuel stations with an adequate understanding of the potential risks and the correct way to manage them.
Training and information-sharing ensure compliance and encourage franchisees to learn how to apply regulations to a fuel station and to source assistance and share any concerns.
A similar approach is needed for the outsourced companies that transport fuel.
Such companies need to demonstrate that they possess and can demonstrate that their management systems to ensure safe operations are in place.
Safety needs to be managed on an ongoing basis, working closely with transport companies to ensure that best practices are implemented to mitigate risks.
Having systems in place is not enough: contractors need to show that they are fully aligned to safety every day and that every driver or technician understands, and that company management is committed to what is expected of them and operates in a safe manner.
About the author
Liesl Esau is the HSE and EC lead at bp Southern Africa