PPE Industry News
Reports of blitz on all footwear imports
Published: 18th Apr 2017
All safety footwear – locally made or imported – must eventually have the numbers to be compliant with the law, but imported footwear is more immediately affected because it is checked by NRCS inspectors at ports of entry. From the safety footwear importer’s point of view, NRCS numbers – or proof that they have been applied for – are attractive mostly because they supposedly speed up the import process.
Ironically, importers and a clearing agent are reporting that all footwear imports are currently being targeted for inspection.
“The NRCS is only 1 of 5 government agencies which can inspect cargo,” said the clearing agent, who didn’t want to be named, but whose company works with a number of footwear and footwear component importers. He said the most important is SA Revenue Services (SARS) – formerly Customs – which oversees all imports in respect of import duties. The others are SAPS (counterfeits), Port Health Services (disease) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (various agricultural products).
“At least 80% of footwear and footwear component containers are being stopped by SARS,” the agent said. “They’re all being queried.”
Emailed questions to SARS – first to its Durban office, which referred Protect to its media office in Pretoria – asking whether and why these products were being targeted, went unanswered.
Rebel’s Gingell said the NRCS was responsible for the stopping of its containers: “Yes – we’re finding far more containers are being stopped by Durban NRCS. There appears to be little communication between NRCS in Durban and NRCS in Pretoria, about the status of applications.
“We’ve only recently received the NRCS numbers, so we're not yet in a position to say whether this will improve our status with NRCS, and hence reduce the number of stoppages.
“Our containers are still mixed – a container may contain some styles which are approved, and others that are not yet approved. However, we have proof that we have submitted an NRCS application for each style that we are importing.”
Permalink: Reports of blitz on all footwear imports
A-OSH Expo 2017: First Aid and OHS Act training
Published: 18th Apr 2017
Midrand (SA) – A one-and-a-half day First Aid training session and a half-day OHS Act familiarisation training session will be held on the first 2 days of the A-OSH exhibition (May 30-June 1).
The courses will be run by TrainingTech.
The First Aid course will run from 08.00-16.00 on May 30 and 08.00-12.00 on May 31, and will cover:
* Emergency scene management
* Primary survey
* Secondary survey
* SAMPLE history
* Anatomy & physiology
* First aid procedures
* CPR
* Abdominal Thrust
* Recovery Position.
From 13:00 to 17:00 on May 31, TrainingTech will present a course entitled 'What is the function of the Occupational Health and Safety Act?' The course is intended to provide risk and OHS managers with a grounding in the application of the Act and covers:
* What are health and safety representatives?
* Functions of health and safety representatives
* What may & should a health and safety representative do?
* What is a health and safety committee?
* What are the functions of a health and safety committee?
* What are the employer and employee duties?
Full course details are available from TrainingTech marketing director Riandi Appelgryn. – [info@buildingbrands.co.za, www.trainingtech.co.za]
PPE seminar
Published: 13th Feb 2017
Johannesburg (SA) – The 2nd annual Personal Protective Equipment Symposium will be held on March 29 and 30 at the 3M auditorium in Woodmead, Johannesburg, according to a release from organiser Amabhubesi.
It will cover PPE issues including comfort, productivity considerations, eye protection, compliance & style trends in PPE, women’s PPE, PPE for the forestry industry, safety footwear, innovation and technologies within the PPE sector and the challenges faced by end users in acquiring PPE with proper fit for both female and male employees.
Confirmed panelists are Rani Naidoo-3M South Africa, Isak Marais- Bramhope Group, Neels Nortje- SAIOSH, Jaco Combrinck-3M South Africa, Joep Joubert-IOSM, Dr. Natalie Scheepers, Debbie Joynt- Select PPE, Vijay Nundlall-Sibanye Gold, Raymond Mousa- One Vision Systems, Ndlela Mazibuko-BBF Safety, Katekani Ngobeni –CSIR, Dale Kennedy- Ergomax, Mark Andersen-LexisNexis’s Compliance Division, Harold Gaze-Occutech-Neptun Boot, Michael Fortune-Uhambo Distributors, Vanessa Ronald- SiSi Women Safety Footwear. – Kelly Siasamba [+27 (0)11 050 7007, Kelly@amabhubesi.co.za]
Permalink: PPE seminar
Da Gama Textiles fined R2m for ‘collusive trading’
Published: 30th Jan 2017
Pretoria (SA) – The Competition Tribunal has fined The Good Hope Textile Corporation (Pty) Ltd, t/a Da Gama Textiles, over R2m for a case involving a State tender dating back to 2013. The case was heard on January 25.
In its investigation and findings, the commission wrote: “On 16 September 2013, the Commissioner initiated a complaint in terms of section 49B(1) of the Act against Da Gama Textiles, Monoge Mining Contractors & Supply Services cc and Motseng Trading (Pty) Ltd for allegedly colluding when bidding for tender RT60-2012T issued by the National Treasury in contravention of section 4(1)(b)(iii) of the Act.
“The tender was for the supply of fabric used in the manufacture of uniforms to the Department of Correctional Services, the SA Air Force and the SA Military Health Services.
“The Commission’s investigation…revealed that: Da Gama Textiles concluded bilateral agreements with Monoge Mining and Motseng Trading in terms of which they agreed that Da Gama Textiles would determine the prices at which both Monoge Mining and Motseng Trading would quote when submitting…their respective bids in response to the tender number RT60-2012T. The bilateral agreements…constitute collusive tendering in contravention…of the Act.”
Da Gama admitted its guilt and confirmed it had “ceased engaging in the conduct set out…above”.
It was fined R R2 113 335.45, payable in 2 instalments, “the first payment being made 12 months from the confirmation of the Consent Agreement...the second...6 months after the first payment.”
