An extraordinary year

Our columnist reflects on the highs, lows and heartbreaking moments of 2021, and sets his sights on the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sadly, there have been more than five million deaths from Covid-19 worldwide and we are now seeing a spike of people struggling with long Covid. Our hearts go out to all of those who lost someone during this pandemic.

There’s also been a devastating impact on jobs, with millions lost. Many employers are now opting to become flexible and implement a hybrid approach that includes a combination of working from home and the office. Recently, there’s been an unprecedented number of workers resigning in a trend that’s now been termed “the Great Resignation”.

Taking an optimistic view, we now have the Covid-19 vaccine, the world economy seems to be recovering and we look forward to the South African Infrastructure Development Plan being fast-tracked with investments estimated to be more than R2 trillion.

During these extraordinary times, we are proud to see the extraordinary action that health and safety practitioners have taken to ensure workers’ safety is of utmost importance. We certainly look forward to opportunities from borderless economies or prospects of a thriving and inclusive South African economy.

In addition to providing our normal membership services, during 2021 Saiosh:

• Established a technical committee that revised all draft health and safety legislation that was published for comment during 2021, including the OHS Amendment Bill;
• Submitted a motivation to the Minister of Justice, and the Saiosh professional designation “chartered member” was enacted as commissioners of oaths; and
• Donated R100 000 to Food Forward SA after the destructive riots and looting in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The Saiosh brand remained resilient even during these trying times. This is indicative of the growth of the profession in the economy, even during a pandemic. Another important factor is the excellent value derived from Saiosh benefits versus fees. The SHEQ MANAGEMENT Magazine is an integral part of the phenomenal benefits for Saiosh members. The magazine and postage costs are covered by Saiosh.

Saiosh is recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as the professional body for occupational health and safety in terms of the National Qualification Framework (NQF) Act 67 of 2008.

Saiosh has three SAQA professional designations registered on the NQF:

• Technical member (TechSaiosh);
• Graduate member (GradSaiosh); and
• Chartered member (CMSaiosh).

In addition to the professional designations, Saiosh also has the following membership categories:

• Ordinary member;
• Associate; and
• Corporate member.

I wish to thank Saiosh stakeholders for their continued support and participation in Saiosh activities.

We honour and thank our members for their professionalism and dedication to making the workplace healthier and safer so that workers can go home safely to their families.