SHEQ Management Magazine

05/02/2026

Design innovation versus safety standards – where should the line be drawn?

🚨 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗔𝗡 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀!

China is preparing to outlaw one of the most futuristic trends in modern vehicle design: retractable, flush door handles.

Why? Safety concerns.

Authorities warn that electronic handles can fail during crashes or power outages, potentially trapping occupants inside. The move follows several serious incidents, including a fatal EV crash where at least one passenger reportedly couldn’t escape when the doors failed to open. In another case, damaged power cables prevented electronic handles from deploying, forcing emergency crews to smash windows to reach occupants.

Retractable handles have become a signature feature of many electric vehicles, praised for their sleek design and aerodynamic benefits. But critics argue the technology may be putting style ahead of safety.

👉 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻:
𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀?

👍 Yes – they look great and innovation matters
😮 Maybe – depends on safety improvements
👎 No – I prefer traditional mechanical handles
👇 Vote and tell us why in the comments!

28/01/2026

⛏️⛑️ 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀
The mining sector is at a crossroads where “zero harm” ambitions are meeting tough operational and management realities.

⚖️ For instance, if the 2024 Mine Health & Safety Act Amendment Bill is enacted, the accountability of CEOs will dramatically increase and, in cases of non-compliance resulting in a fatality, companies could face fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover!

🧰 Fortunately for operators, new tools and technologies continue to expand the SHEQ arsenal, including AI-powered predictive maintenance, collision-avoidance systems, drones for hazardous inspections and real-time air quality monitoring.

👀 Our article in 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗤 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗲 explores how best to navigate this minefield of challenges and opportunities: https://buff.ly/L8BaQ23

27/01/2026

📢 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮
Bursary applications now open! ⏰

🦺 The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) and L’Oréal have collaborated for the fourth year to offer a bursary that promotes, encourages and enables women to develop a career in health and safety.

🏆 In 2025, ten winners from six countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, were selected from over 1,000 applicants.

This year the bursary programme covers 𝟮𝟬 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱-𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 to study the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (https://buff.ly/mVsWGrw).

👉 Bursary applications for 2026 must be submitted via the online form: https://buff.ly/WOnaVHt

📹 Potential candidates will need to submit a short video showing why they hope to work in health and safety and how the NEBOSH qualification would support their development.

⚠️ Deadline: Applications close on 𝟮𝟬 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝘁 𝟱𝗽𝗺 𝗨𝗞 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 (6pm SAST).

𝗡𝗕: Applicants must read the application guide and terms and conditions of the bursary offer before preparing and submitting applications: https://buff.ly/pQ6w1Pq

❓Queries: [email protected]

26/01/2026

💥 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗔’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀
At 107m it was the tallest stack of its kind ever demolished in the country, and the first time a structure of such severe instability has been safely brought down in a live smelting environment.

🧨 The controlled blasting and toppling of the structurally compromised concrete converter stack took place at Palabora Mining Company last year, led by specialist contractor Draco Group.

🛤️ There was only a narrow 20° corridor for a safe fall zone, and three live railway lines crossing the designated drop area had to be dismantled to avoid production delays.
Safety was the cornerstone of the project. The Dept of Mineral Resources approved the blast plan and strict safety procedures were enforced, including the clearing and monitoring of the 300m exclusion zone.

🦣 Environmental protection was equally critical, given the project’s location close to the Kruger National Park.

👀 Read the whole story in SHEQ Management Magazine: https://buff.ly/JhehVlw

Draco Group, a specialist contractor with over two decades of experience in hazardous waste management and demolition, has completed one of South Africa's most technically challenging demolition projects: the controlled blasting and toppling of a structurally compromised 107-metre concrete converter...

21/01/2026

⚠️☠️ 𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 +𝟱𝟬𝟬𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗦𝗔 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿
Illicit trade threatens health, safety, quality & economy

💊 Counterfeit medicines and unlabelled or illicit foodstuffs often bypass quality and safety standards, resulting in cheap fakes that potentially lead to illnesses, loss of life and reputational damage for businesses.

💸 These illegal markets cost South Africa billions in lost tax revenue, depress economic activity and deter investment. Illicit and counterfeit trading can account for ~10% of the country’s economy and cost taxpayers over R100 billion annually.

📢 The SA government is stepping up with targeted seizures of counterfeit goods across provinces; greater regulatory vigilance across the food value chain to protect consumer safety; customs & border management enhancements to intercept illicit imports; and public awareness & reporting initiatives to empower citizens to “buy original and genuine”.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗤 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼:
✔ Strengthen supply chain traceability & verification (QR codes, track&trace systems)
✔ Conduct rigorous vendor & product quality audits
✔ Train teams to identify counterfeit signs & unsafe products early
✔ Embed incident reporting channels for suspected illicit goods
✔ Partner with industry bodies & law enforcement to share intelligence, best practice

👉 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

19/01/2026

🚨 𝟰𝟳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱! 𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀
A new EU-OSHA survey shows that ~47 million workers across Europe were likely exposed to one or more known cancer risk factors in a typical working week. Ranging from UV radiation to diesel exhaust, benzene and silica, these highlight serious gaps in prevention and protection at work. (https://buff.ly/lnwNkPC)

💡But this isn’t just a European issue. In South Africa, ongoing updates to the COIDA* occupational disease list and stakeholder discussions are pushing for better recognition, reporting and compensation for work-related cancers and other occupational diseases – amid stark under-reporting and regulatory challenges. (https://buff.ly/fkrLzgu)
*COIDA = Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act

📢 Workplace cancer risks deserve urgent, evidence-driven action everywhere.
From stronger hazard controls to enhanced surveillance, it’s time to improve worker protection.

16/01/2026

🛑🏗️ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟰𝟴𝗵𝗿𝘀
It’s more than just sad news 😢 – these are tragic case studies in risk management and safety oversight.

In Thailand this week, two crane failures claimed dozens of lives:

➡️ A giant launching gantry crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train, killing 32 people and injuring dozens more. It occurred on a high-speed rail construction site.

➡️ Less than 24 hours later, another crane collapse on Rama II Expressway crushed vehicles, killing at least two civilians and injuring others.

⚖️ The Thai Prime Minister has ordered the Transport Ministry to immediately terminate contracts with Italian-Thai Development (Italthai), the lead contractor involved in the two accidents, as well as the Chinese company responsible for design and construction supervision. These companies will also be blacklisted and face full legal prosecution, he said.

❓❓𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢? Are our safety standards higher? Keep in mind recent tragedies like the George building collapse in 2024 that resulted in 34 deaths.



📷 AP Photo/Arnun Chonmahatrakool

15/01/2026

🚨 𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲-𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝗔 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 🚒🔥
A zero-tolerance approach is being adopted by South Africa’s Department of Employment & Labour towards companies that repeatedly flout safety and labour laws. It’s compiling a ‘hit list’ of serial offenders so inspectors can target persistent non-compliance rather than simply issuing fines that some firms treat as “a cost of doing business”.

This warning comes as 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 ravage the country: communities in the north and east are experiencing deadly flooding, while devastating wildfires rage across several parts of the Cape province, forcing evacuations and threatening homes, businesses, infrastructure and transport corridors.

📢 These are all wake-up calls. The intersection of regulatory pressure and climate-driven disaster risk means businesses must go beyond compliance:

⚠️ Safety culture is non-negotiable
Whether it’s a warehouse, a transport depot, a construction site or an office, inadequate safety systems result in fines and blacklists but can also cost lives and livelihoods.

🔥 Climate risk isn’t theoretical – it’s here
Hotter, drier, wind-driven conditions are increasing the severity and frequency of wildfires. These same forces can turn small hazards into full-blown emergencies if risk isn’t proactively managed.

💪 Strong SHEQ leadership = business continuity
While regulatory tolerance shrinks, climate-linked events increasingly disrupt operations and supply chains. Companies that don’t embed risk resilience expose themselves and their communities to real danger.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
✔ Re-audit safety and risk management systems now
✔ Integrate climate risk into operational risk planning
✔ Train teams in emergency readiness and crisis response
✔ Engage with local disaster and safety authorities
✔ Turn compliance into a competitive advantage

❓ 𝘐𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸.

14/01/2026

💉 𝗛𝗜𝗩 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵!
What does lenacapavir mean for the SHEQ sector?

🎉 South Africa has reached a major milestone in HIV prevention with the approval of lenacapavir – a long-acting injectable that offers six months of protection with just two injections a year.

As the first country in Africa to register this innovation, the implications for public health, dignity and workplace wellbeing are profound.

For a country still working to close the HIV prevention gap for 1.1 million people, lenacapavir could be a game-changer – especially for individuals who struggle with daily pill adherence, face stigma, or cannot negotiate safer s*x. This includes many workers in vulnerable, high-risk or marginalised settings.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
🏥 Update HIV & wellness policies to reflect new prevention options and evolving national strategies.

❤️🩹 Strengthen stigma-free workplace cultures – fear and discrimination remain major barriers to testing and prevention.

🩺 Partner with occupational health providers to ensure employees understand prevention choices, including PrEP (a daily preventative pill for at-risk HIV-negative people) and lenacapavir.

📢 Use toolbox talks and wellness days to share accurate information aligned with national campaigns like Close the Gap.

⚖️ Ensure non-discrimination and confidentiality, especially for women, young workers, mobile employees like truck drivers, and other key populations.

South Africa is striving towards the 𝟵𝟱-𝟵𝟱-𝟵𝟱 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 (95% of all people living with HIV to know their status; 95% of those who know their status to be on sustained ARV treatment; and 95% of those on treatment to be virally suppressed). To this end, government is calling for strong multi-sector collaboration, and workplaces are part of the solution.

12/01/2026

😢 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝘆 - which could have been prevented, say investigators.

🔥 The primary cause of the fire that took 40 lives and left +100 people injured? 🎇 Sparklers, which ignited soundproofing foam on the ceiling.

⚠️ The venue - Le Constellation in Crans-Montana ski resort in Switzerland - had allegedly not undergone a health and safety inspection for five years.

📢 Industry leaders are calling for stricter compliance with fire-risk assessments and bans on indoor pyrotechnics, as reported in HSI magazine: https://buff.ly/bwsZXc7

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗤 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹: When last did your operation undergo a fire-risk assessment?

A safety expert has warned that a lack of inspections and combustible materials created a ‘recipe for disaster’ following a fatal fire at a nightclub in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

08/01/2026

Bursary Funding for Saiosh Members - 2026 Academic Year. 🎓

Application Now Open: https://www.saiosh.co.za/general/custom.asp?page=bursary_funding

Apply for Saiosh Membership: https://www.saiosh.co.za/page/profreg

08/01/2026

📍 South Africa recorded 1,502 fatalities across all provinces during the 2024/25 festive season.

KZN, Gauteng, and the Eastern Cape accounted for the highest fatality numbers.
These statistics reinforce the urgent need for improved driver behaviour, better pedestrian awareness, and enhanced safety training — especially ahead of the festive travel surge.

MasterDrive’s December Driver Safety Advantage campaign helps organisations prepare their teams for the deadliest month on SA roads.

Let’s make 2025 the year of safer journeys.

🔗 Full details: https://mastertorque.co.za/masterdrives-december-safety-blitz-targets-festive-road-deaths/