UCT celebrates its first OHSE Awards ceremony

When it comes to health and safety: the better you do your job, the less there is to show for it. No accidents in your department, no one harmed by toxic chemicals or the unsafe use of ladders? Thank the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (OHSE) division, and the myriad volunteers who are trained and on hand across the University of Cape Town (UCT) campuses to assess and mitigate risk, render first aid and ensure fire response and emergency evacuation procedures.

“Our health and safety people tend to fly below the radar,” said UCT Vice Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela, addressing executives, the OHSE team, and health and safety award nominees who had gathered in the airy foyer of the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika (d-School Afrika) on middle campus.

“We come to work on any given day, and no one gets injured, and that is how it is supposed to be,” Professor Moshabela said. “But we need to recognise those who put in a lot of time, often unseen, to make sure that all is well. We have added challenges in that much of our campus is historic, with old buildings that require ongoing maintenance.”

Moshabela added: “We appreciate what you do for this institution. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. You carry the spirit of service and compassion.

“While we are celebrating the winners today, there are many, many others who contribute to the safety of the university every day. To all of you I extend my heartfelt thanks and congratulations.”

Big responsibility

Ensuring safety is no small responsibility on a wide range of campuses with an enormous footfall, where daily there are lectures, social events, experiments and lab work, physical activities, catering, maintenance, cleaning and so much more.

Tasked with heading this effort is the OHSE division, which lies within the Properties and Services Department. Under the directorship of Kirshni Naidoo, the division is charged with ensuring the implementation of health, safety and environmental measures across all faculties, departments, services and student arenas.

In addition to mitigating risk and ensuring the safety of every person who steps on UCT property, it takes a team of specialists to ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, all of UCT’s health, safety and environmental regulation, and international standards, such as ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.

But this award ceremony was about acknowledging and thanking those who give of their time to learn vital skills, such as first aid, and master protocol for such events as fire or potential evacuation, to keep a community safe.

It is nice to be acknowledged

Award winners stemmed from nominees in the categories of First Aiders, Emergency Evacuation Marshals and OHSE Representatives, and received a certificate and a gift of gratitude. This included a portable CPR kit, an OHSE travel mug and a spider man key chain with the message; ‘Because YOU are the Avengers of UCT’.

“It is so nice to be acknowledged and appreciated in this way,” said one of the award winners, sitting after the ceremony with a certificate in her lap. “It is not why we volunteer to do this, but it is nice to be thanked.”

Innovation and safety champions

Special awards were granted to Annestacia Marthinus and Sayed Hess of the Faculty of Science, where the safe removal of hazardous waste is an ongoing reality.

The Innovation Champion Award went to Marthinus, senior science officer, in recognition of her “remarkable initiative and ingenuity in redesigning the Molecular and Cell Biology department’s hazardous waste disposal system”, and for greatly enhancing safety standards.

Marthinus has developed new waste-management procedures, training materials, and communication tools, and was acknowledged for cross-departmental support and her proactive response to critical incidents.

The Safety Champion Award went to Hess, technical officer and fieldwork specialist, in recognition of his leadership around the safe removal of hazardous waste, the development of standard operating procedures within the lab, and the implementation of comprehensive evacuation procedures in the Environmental and Geographical Science department.

“Your efforts in securing vital safety infrastructure and promoting a culture of compliance and accountability have set an exceptional standard of excellence,” said Naidoo, who presented the two special awards.

A step ladder is just a step ladder until someone falls off

Samuel Marcus, event safety officer, emphasised that risk assessment is where health and safety start: assess the hazard and work from there.

He also credited the importance of the people who were honoured and all those who give of their time to this responsibility. “Computers and paper don’t save people – people save people. That is why we need first aiders and evacuation marshals.”

The event closed with OHSE manager, Michael Langley, thanking those gathered and all who pulled “this special occasion” together. Thirty years ago, Langley started out running UCT’s OHSE department as a one-man show.

“It is a privilege to stand here and see how health and safety have grown over the years,” he said, looking out at all those gathered.

Keep up the good work

While Moshabela emphasised that safety was not just the mandate of safety officers, but every individual, he called on health and safety volunteers to keep up the good work, saying they added a level of safety, thanks to their training and commitment.

“You stand in the way of the things we would rather do because it is convenient! You hold us to higher standards. Please don’t stop pointing things out. Your dedication embodies the very best of what we stand for.

“It is my hope that this first ceremony sparks a new tradition, and continues to uphold those shared values that keep our university safe, inclusive and thriving.”