The DOL's commitment to addressing the challenge of ensuring that the workplace is safe is explicitly stated in the Ministerial Programme of Action for the period, 2004-2009. Among the key points that have been highlighted in the Programme of Action, is to adequately deal with the negative consequences of occupational accidents and ill health on individuals, enterprises and the state. The Department has accelerated measures aimed at reducing accidents and improving the health and safety of workers, through achieving greater co-ordination of the occupational health and safety instruments of government.

The prioritisation of the Department with respect to safety in the work environment is evident in the DOL's commitment to enhance efforts aimed at the reduction of workplace accidents and fatalities. .A major preventative strategy has been launched, which includes public awareness programmes, training of stakeholders including health and safety representatives and cooperative enforcement programmes.

In addition, the Chief Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety has listed a set of priorities, which give effect to the aspect of worker safety. These are listed in Table 2.

In addition, the Chief Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety has listed a set of priorities, which give effect to the aspect of worker safety. These are listed in Table 2.

Table 2: Priority actions for Department of Labour

Inspection work is categorised as follows:

Chapter 5: Proposals for Environmental Management

The first steps required for the development of an EMP are to identify the mandate, policies and regulations in place within the DOL with regard to the broader environment (DEAT 1999). The main focus of the DOL up to now has been on the environment of the workers. While the health and safety of workers has an important place in broad environmental policy, the biophysical component of the environment must also be considered in other DOL policies.