Civil Engineering and ConstructionConstruction Health and Safety Regulations and Duty Holders
After a serious incident on a construction project, investigators ask who held which legal duty and whether it was discharged, and the inquiry rarely stops at the contractor: clients and designers carry duties too. This course explains the legal framework that assigns them. Delegates study the Construction Regulations 2014 made under South Africa's Occupational Health and Safety Act, covering the obligations of the client, designer, principal contractor and contractor, the construction work permit, the baseline risk assessment, health and safety specifications and files, and the appointment of competent agents. Comparable duty holder arrangements elsewhere in the region, where they exist, and the United Kingdom CDM model are reviewed in outline. Enforcement and liability follow. Delegates leave able to identify their own duties and audit compliance documentation on a project.
Course objectives
- Explain the structure of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Construction Regulations 2014
- Identify the legal duties of clients, designers, principal contractors and contractors
- Describe when a construction work permit is required and how it is obtained
- Prepare and review a baseline risk assessment and health and safety specification
- Evaluate a contractor's health and safety plan and file against the specification
- Explain the role and appointment of construction health and safety agents and other competent persons
- Compare South African duty holder requirements with other regional and international regimes
- Audit project documentation for compliance and identify gaps in duty holder records
Who should attend
- Client project managers and property developers
- Architects and design engineers with designer duties
- Principal contractors' construction managers
- Construction health and safety agents and officers
- Public sector infrastructure and facilities managers
Course outline
- 01The legal framework: OHS Act and Construction Regulations 2014
- 02Client duties and the construction work permit
- 03Baseline risk assessment and health and safety specification
- 04Designer duties
- 05Principal contractor and contractor duties
- 06Health and safety plans and files
- 07Competent persons and agents
- 08Regional and international duty holder regimes
- 09Enforcement, liability and compliance audits
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 to 23 October 2026 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 23 to 27 November 2026 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 14 to 18 December 2026 | Accra, Ghana | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 11 to 15 January 2027 | Pretoria, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 8 to 12 February 2027 | Windhoek, Namibia | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 15 to 19 February 2027 | Gaborone, Botswana | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate |
Construction Health and Safety Regulations and Duty Holders
From R8,500