MBA NORTH NAMES REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY WINNERS

Supplied by MBA North

The Master Builders Association (MBA) North region has announced the winners of its prestigious 2022 Annual Regional Safety Competition, which recognises best practice in construction site safety.

The awards form part of broader efforts by MBA North and sponsor, Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (RF) (Pty) Ltd (FEM), to improve safety in the construction industry and provide a platform for companies to benchmark their Health and Safety (H&S) Management Systems and implementation against other companies in the region and nationally.

Due to the nature of construction work, workers are exposed to multiple risks. In 2021 FEM, who provides workmen’s compensation to around 300,000 construction sector employees, recorded a total of 6 423 accidents among their members, of which 56 resulted in deaths, and 699 in disabilities. FEM CEO Ndivhuwo Manyonga notes that this amounts to more than one death a week, with the true figure likely higher due to accidents in the informal construction sector (Retrieved from https://roe.fem.co.za/Stats#/Accident-Stats, as of Dec 2021) and amongst those construction employers covered by the government’s Compensation Fund.

FEM works closely with MBA North and other construction industry bodies to promote construction sector safety best practice. “FEM regularly engages with employees and families whose lives have been affected by a lack of workplace safety, and we see the devastating impacts of workplace accidents. We believe every accident is preventable, and that an industry with zero accidents is achievable. This goal has informed our ‘ZERO is no accident’ campaign, as well as our involvement in initiatives such as the MBA North Regional Safety Competition. Getting to zero will not happen by chance – it requires purposeful planning and a concerted effort by all industry stakeholders to foster positive change in behaviours,” says Manyonga.

The Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (RF) (Pty) Ltd is licensed to conduct non-life insurance business.

The 2022 MBA North Regional Safety Competition attracted entries from 59 contractors and 10 sub-contractors, up 9 entries from 60 in 2021, and representing a total project value of more than R8.8 billion.

New entrants included Concor Construction, 3 Dot Construction & Development, H Kampman, VIVA Projects JHB, JC Van Der Linde & Venter Projects, Reinforcing Mesh Solutions, Alt Ener Pro, Basonani Projects, Formacon, Bri-Rebar and Tate and Nicholson. As new entrants, Concor Construction and Basonani Projects made their mark by winning in their categories. Concor Construction won in Category G – R250m to R450m for the Trevenna project and Basonani Projects was the winner in the category Best Sub Contractor, for the Steve Tshwete Hospital project.

Other outstanding entrants were Tri-Star Construction and WBHO Construction, who each won in three categories. Tri-Star Construction won in Category D – R15m to R40m for the Wits Gatehouse & U&E project; Category E – R40m to R100m for the Kempton Towers project and Category F – R100m to R250m for the Brooklyn House project. WBHO Construction was the winner in Category A – Plant & Storage Yards for WHBO Plant & Services North; Category B2 – Manufacturers for Signage Manufacturing WHBO and Category I – R750m plus for the PNP Distribution Centre project.

Form-Scaff Gauteng branch won in Category B1 – Allied Trades; Enza Construction won in Category C – Less than R15m for St Peters College Maths Building; and GD Irons Construction won in Category H – R450m to R750m for the Radisson Hotel & ICC, Steve Tshwete projects.

Gerhard Roets, Construction Health & Safety Manager at MBA North, says there is keen and growing interest among MBA North’s members in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North-West Provinces to use the competition as an opportunity to benchmark their health and safety management systems and implementation against their peers. “MBA North thanks all those who participated this year. We encourage more construction companies and sub-contractors to enter in 2023,” says Roets.

The following winners were announced on 8 July:

Category A – Plant & Storage Yards: WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd – WHBO Plant & Services North

Category B1 – Allied Trades: Form-Scaff – Gauteng branch

Category B2 – Manufacturers: WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd – Signage Manufacturing WHBO

Category C – Less than R15m: Enza Construction (Pty) Ltd – St Peters College Maths Building

Category D – R15m to R40m: Tri-Star Construction (Pty) Ltd – Wits Gatehouse & U&E

Category E – R40m to R100m: Tri-Star Construction (Pty) Ltd – Kempton Towers

Category F – R100m to R250m: Tri-Star Construction (Pty) Ltd – Brooklyn House

Category G – R250m to R450m: Concor Construction – Trevenna

Category H – R450m to R750m: GD Irons Construction (Pty) Ltd – Radisson Hotel & ICC, Steve Tshwete

Category I – R750m plus: WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd – PNP Distribution Centre

Best Sub Contractor: Basonani Projects – Steve Tshwete Hospital

Best Performing Health & Safety Client Agent – Riaan van Niekerk

Best Performing Construction Manager – Tim Rowbottom

Best Performing Health & Safety Manager – Pieter Kruger

Best Performing Health & Safety Officer – Mornice Niemann

Best Performing Construction Supervisor – Andrew Kgasago

Best Performing Yard Manger – Bernard Msukuma

Best Performing Health & Safety Representative – Loveness Masinda

These companies and individuals will now go through to the Master Builders Association’s National Safety Awards, which will be announced at the organisation’s annual conference.

About the Master Builders Association North

The Master Builders Association North is the amalgamation of the former Master Builders Associations of Johannesburg (founded in 1894) and Pretoria (founded in 1903). The organisations merged to form the Gauteng Mast Builders Association in 1996, and was renamed Master Builders Association North, representing four regions: Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It is a chapter of the Master Builders Association South Africa. Based in Halfway House, the Master Builders Association North represents the interests of employers in the building and allied trade industries in the abovementioned four regions. It aims to serve its members by facilitating best practice within its membership and the building industry as a whole.