The construction industry’s leading Health and Safety Competition had its origins in 1963 when the first Building Safety Competition was held by NOSA, in collaboration with the Master Builders Association. It took place in what was then Natal province, with the only facet then adjudicated on being “Housekeeping”. In 1964, it became a national competition and extended to two categories: “Building” and “Allied Trades”.
Today, the Master Builders South Africa National Safety competition is a comprehensive, well supported annual event open to all Master Builder members and Federated Employers Mutual (FEM) Assurance policy holders. Each of the Master Builder Associations in South Africa holds Regional Competitions and the respective winners are then entered into the National Competition. In total, over 250 companies usually participate in the Regional Competitions.
Builders compete in 10 different categories, ranging from sites with contract values of below R5 million, to in excess of R500 million and include plant yards and allied trades. The qualifying sites are judged by a panel of independent, suitably qualified and experienced auditors making use of the comprehensive Master Builders audit system. “We expect some 45 sites to be entered for this year’s competition,” states Pierre Fourie, Operations Director at Master Builders South Africa. “Only a small window of opportunity is available for judging to take place, usually when the work is at peak, which adds to the pressure on placed on our judging panel.
The high occupational health and safety standards subscribed to by the entrants demonstrates the South African building industry’s respected commitment to safety.”
The category winners will be announced at the prestigious FEM/Master Builders dinner on 31 August 2016 in Durban, which forms part of the annual Master Builders Annual Congress.