The interactive seminar will deal with matters relevant to all industries accountable under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 or the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996. One of the central issues to be unpacked at the event will be the measure of safety which must be taken by the employer. This complicated matter will lead to the debate of the level of tolerability of risk in the workplace. In many industries the objective is to achieve zero fatalities. This is not always achievable considering hazards associated with the work environment, and leads to the central question of the measure of risk which is tolerable, or may be allowed. Speakers will go on to discuss risk in other industries as well as risk outside the workplace. 

KEY TOPICS 

WHEN IS THE LEVEL OF RISK TOO HIGH?

• The criterion of safety in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Mine Health and Safety Act
• The legal criterion of the "reasonable person"
• Legal principles to determine the tolerability of risk in the workplace
• Powers of the Inspectorate in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Mine Health and Safety Act to close a workplace
• Risk management
• The statistical risk of death in and outside the workplace and in different industries
• Engineering considerations in the tolerability of risk

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Directors
• Managers
• Mine and Occupational Health and Safety Managers
• Mine and Occupational Health and Safety Representatives and Practitioners
• HR Practitioners

Mr. Willem le Roux B Iuris LLB
Director: Brink Cohen Le Roux Inc.

Willem specialises in occupational and mine health and safety law, litigation and environmental law.  He has represented mining interests at the Leon Commission concerning health and safety in the mining industry.  Willem has advised mining houses and the Chamber of Mines on health and safety legislation, including the recent attempt to introduce corporate homicide in the South African law.  He has assisted employers in conducting health and safety audits.  He has appeared for mining houses and corporations in the chemical, metal and other industries at very prominent inquests and inquiries and litigation.  He has represented employers in claims for damages based on lung diseases.

Mr. Colin C van der Meulen Bachelor of Business Science (Actuarial)
Fellow of Faculty of Actuaries

Colin is a fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries and an approved valuator for life assurers.  He has extensive experience as an actuary.  Such experience includes reinsurance, life insurance, short term insurance, employee compensation, medical and health care financial management.  Colin has been a member of the 3-man Melamet Commission of Enquiry into the Medical Aid Industry appointed by the South African State President in 1993.  Currently he does actuarial work in the pensions fund, life assurance and short term insurance fields, which include work for the Rand Mutual Assurance.

Dr N C Joughin BSc, BSc(Eng) cum laude, awarded the Chamber of Mines Gold Medal and Scholarship for achieving the highest aggregate in the Faculty of Engineering, PhD (Geophysics)

In the course of his doctoral studies Noel designed, built, installed and operated the first mine-wide underground seismic recording system in mining.  One of the consequences of his studies was the initiation of the concept of Energy Release Rate (ERR) and demonstration that the ERR was directly related to the incidence and magnitude of seismic events.  He was appointed to the Chamber of Mines Research Organisation where his work included the design of methods for mining deep mines.  Noel was appointed as Honorary Professor of Geophysics at the Rand Afrikaans University in 1981, Assistant Research Adviser to the Chamber of Mines in 1977, and as Director General of COMRO in 1988.  Noel is a past Director and currently Principal Associate of Turgis Consulting.

Mr. Pieter Colyn BLC LLB LLM Adv Dip Labour Law
Director: Brink Cohen Le Roux

Pieter joined Brink Cohen Le Roux at its inception and was appointed as a director of the firm at the beginning of 1998.  He is a litigation attorney and specialises in general and commercial litigation, occupational and mine health and safety law and labour law.  Pieter has appeared personally on behalf of various corporate clients in very prominent mine and occupational health and safety inquiries and investigations, as well as other matters in his field of expertise.

Dates and Venues
Thursday 03rd June 2010 Johannesburg, Emperor’s Palace (011-928 1000)

The Fee (VAT Inclusive)
One delegate – R3 500 incl VAT
Two or more delegates – R3 150 incl VAT