South Africa-based turnkey camp accommodation construction and facilities management company African Camp Construction (AfriCamp SA)is implementing various safety, health and environmental accreditations for its safety management system, which will enable the company to participate in larger contracts in support of delivering an exemplary service to its engineering, procurement and construction management, mining, oil and gas, and military clients across Africa.
These accreditations include OHSAS 1001 for health and safety, ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management and the NOSA Five Star System, which AfriCamp hopes to have fully implemented by June 2014, says AfriCamp safety, health, environment, risk and quality manager Lorretta Viljoen.
She adds that AfriCamp SA is currently implementing the NOSA Five Star System and integrating OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001 and 14001 with the NOSA Five Star System to ensure a fully integrated safety, health, environmental and quality (Sheq) manage-ment system.
“Before accreditation is approved, Sheq systems must be implemented and reviewed,” Viljoen explains, adding that AfriCamp SA’s Sheq management system has been running since June this year on several projects, including two mines in South Africa and Mozambique.
The NOSA Five Star System has five sec-tions and 72 elements and AfriCamp SA is well on its way with the implementation. Once all five sections have been successfully com-pleted, the procedures regarding the OHSAS 18001 and the ISO 9001 and 14001 standards will be integrated with these five sections, she notes.
“Compliance to AfriCamp SA’s Sheq management systems will reduce potential incidents and/or accidents on projects and steer the company towards realising its vision of zero harm, which will reduce employee downtime and increase productivity,” says Viljoen.
The system also requires training, such as induction and procedural training, as well as training for job-specific tasks, including working at heights, scaffolding erection and inspection and correct use of personal protective equipment.