By Eamonn Ryan
In South Africa’s HVAC industry, many leaders know they “must comply” with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSH Act), but fewer understand how its core duties translate into day‑to‑day site decisions. In her SAIRAC workshop, health and safety officer Tegan Beer describes the OSH Act as the ‘umbrella legislation’ that is always in force for HVAC operations. This is part two of a ten-part series.
Section 9 widens the lens beyond employees.
Upklyak | Magnific.com
Beer emphasises that the Act applies to everyday work: servicing rooftop units, workshop tasks, office‑based design and routine maintenance. “The Occupational Health and Safety Act is the umbrella legislation. It applies to every single work, every day, including HVAC operations,” says Beer.
She highlights three key sections that HVAC leaders and supervisors must internalise: sections 8, 9 and 14.
Under section 8, employers must implement precautionary measures. In HVAC, Beer explains, this is not abstract – it is very specific:
- Ensuring safe access to rooftops for technicians
- Providing fall protection where required
- Supplying respiratory protection when handling dusty filters or refrigerants
These are not “nice‑to‑have” extras but direct expressions of the employer’s legal duty to create safe systems of work.
Section 14 focuses on employees’ responsibilities. Technicians are not passive recipients of safety rules; they have clearly defined obligations:
- Take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others
- Follow lawful orders and procedures
- Report unsafe conditions and incidents promptly
For Beer, this plays out concretely in HVAC environments: following lockout/tagout procedures before electrical work, reporting refrigerant leaks immediately, and using PPE consistently.
“For employees, Section 14 requires them to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others, to follow lawful orders and procedures, and to report unsafe conditions and incidents promptly,” Beer notes.
Section 9 widens the lens beyond employees. Many HVAC tasks take place in occupied buildings, hospitals, factories or commercial spaces. Beer stresses that employers must safeguard visitors, contractors and members of the public who may be affected by HVAC activities.
That means, for example, controlling dust during ducting work in operational areas, managing access around work zones and ensuring that temporary works do not create trip or fall hazards for building occupants.
Beer also reminds leaders that the OSH Act is not optional or dormant – it is actively enforced:
- It requires structures such as health and safety representatives and committees
- It is enforced by the Department of Employment and Labour through inspections and prosecutions
“In short, the OSH Act is always enforced for HVAC companies… Compliance is a legal requirement and a moral obligation, ensuring that every technician, contractor and client is protected,” says Beer.
For HVAC CEOs, project managers and supervisors, understanding the OSH Act in this concrete way changes the conversation. It is no longer a distant statute, but a daily checklist of duties that shapes how access is provided, how tasks are planned and how people are protected.
By aligning site practices with sections 8, 9 and 14, HVAC leaders move beyond box‑ticking compliance to a consistent standard of safety that protects workers, clients and the public – and underpins the credibility of their business.
