Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act Compliance for South African Restaurants
R100
The purpose of this short compliance course is to give all restaurant personnel in South Africa a solid understanding of their legal obligations and employee protections under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. Every participant will gain practical knowledge of restaurant safety procedures, enabling them to comply with South African law while ensuring a safe workplace. The program emphasizes the legal duty to know and apply correct safety measures, protecting employees, customers, and business reputation.
Description
Purpose
The purpose of this short compliance course is to give all restaurant personnel in South Africa a solid understanding of their legal obligations and employee protections under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. Every participant will gain practical knowledge of restaurant safety procedures, enabling them to comply with South African law while ensuring a safe workplace. The program emphasizes the legal duty to know and apply correct safety measures, protecting employees, customers, and business reputation.
📌 Rationale
In South Africa, OHS Act compliance is not optional — it is a legal requirement for all workplaces. For restaurants, this means every employee must understand their role in preventing accidents and keeping the environment safe. Non‑compliance risks injuries, fines, lawsuits, and even business closure. This short course simplifies complex legal requirements into clear, daily safety practices specific to restaurants. By mastering these principles, employees protect themselves, safeguard colleagues, and contribute to a culture of safety, compliance, and responsibility.
👥 Target Audience
This course is essential for all employees in South African restaurants, regardless of role or experience. It is especially critical for new hires as part of mandatory induction training, while also serving as a refresher course for existing staff, supervisors, and appointed health and safety representatives.
🎓 Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Recognize their legal rights and responsibilities under the South African OHS Act.
- Identify common restaurant workplace hazards, including slips, cuts, burns, and chemical risks.
- Apply safe working procedures for handling knives, cleaning chemicals, hot equipment, and other high‑risk tasks.
- Understand the personal and business importance of OHS Act compliance in the restaurant industry.
- Follow the correct process for reporting incidents, near‑misses, and unsafe conditions.
📘 Course Structure
Lesson 1: The Legal Framework – Your Rights and Duties Under the OHS Act
This introductory lesson explains the core legal principles governing workplace safety in South African restaurants. After this lesson, employees will know their protections as workers and the duties they must fulfill to ensure compliance.
South Africa’s OHS Legal Framework Learn about the Occupational Health and Safety Act as South Africa’s primary workplace safety law. Understand its purpose: to prevent accidents before they happen.
Your Legal Rights as an Employee Discover your key rights:
- The right to a safe and healthy work environment.
- The right to workplace safety training.
- The right to refuse unsafe or dangerous work.
Your Legal Duties as an Employee Understand that with rights come duties. Employees must:
- Take reasonable care of their own health and the safety of others.
- Co‑operate with their employer’s safety rules and instructions.
- Report unsafe conditions immediately.
Approximate Time Allocation: 40 minutes
Lesson 2: Compliance in Action – Mastering Restaurant Safety Procedures
This practical lesson focuses on applying OHS Act rules in real‑world restaurant operations. It covers the high‑risk areas of daily work and prepares staff to respond correctly in emergencies.
Identifying Hazards in the Restaurant See the restaurant through a safety lens by recognizing hazards such as:
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Knife cuts
- Burns and hot surfaces
- Chemical exposure
Safe Work Procedures in Practice Step‑by‑step instructions for legally compliant safety procedures, including:
- Knife safety techniques
- Safe use and storage of cleaning chemicals
- Correct handling of hot equipment and surfaces
Emergency Response and Reporting Learn correct first responses to fires, burns, cuts, and medical emergencies. Reinforce the legal duty to report all workplace incidents and near‑misses quickly and accurately.
Approximate Time Allocation: 45 minutes
🛠️ Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites. This is a foundation-level compliance pro
