There is no single legal list of occupational health and safety course requirements. The law puts a duty on the employer to provide the training employees need to work safely, and it does not let the employer charge them for it. Separately, anyone who wants to work as a safety practitioner needs a registered qualification, which has its own entry requirements.
This page covers both: what an employer must provide, and what a practitioner or occupational health and safety officer course requires. Fees, duration and entry requirements of individual commercial courses are set by the providers and are not published by any regulator, so confirm them with the provider.
Business Requirements at a Glance
- Employer duty: provide the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary for health and safety at work
- Who pays: the employer, an employee may not be made to pay for safety training or equipment the Act requires
- First aiders: a valid first aid certificate from an organisation approved by the Chief Inspector once your workplace is large enough to need appointed first aiders
- Practitioners: a SAQA-registered qualification, currently the Level 5 Higher Occupational Certificate: Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner
- Construction and mining: separate regimes with their own registration and training rules
Registration and Legal Requirements
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 requires every employer to provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of employees. Providing information, instruction, training and supervision is part of that duty (section 8). There is no general statutory minimum syllabus or number of hours for employee safety training beyond that duty, so the training must fit the hazards of your workplace.
Section 23 of the Act forbids an employer from deducting from remuneration, or requiring or permitting a payment from an employee, for anything the Act requires the employer to provide in the interest of health or safety. Safety training is therefore the employer’s cost. The only exception is where an employee intentionally damages safety equipment and the cost is recovered after a proper investigation.
First aid. The General Safety Regulations require appointed first aiders to hold a valid first aid certificate issued by an organisation approved by the Chief Inspector, once a workplace has more than 10 employees. The regulation was amended in December 2025, so check the current headcount thresholds and certificate validity with the Department of Employment and Labour before you plan first aid training.
Documents and Ownership Information Required
For employees, the documents that matter are your own records:
- Training records for every employee, signed and dated
- Valid first aid certificates for appointed first aiders
- Written designation of health and safety representatives, where you have more than 20 employees at a workplace
- Course details for every programme you buy, including the provider and the body that accredits it
For a practitioner course, SAQA records the entry requirement for the Level 5 qualification as the Level 4 National Occupational Certificate: Occupational Health and Safety Officer, or recognition of prior learning through an accredited provider. SAQA lists the Level 4 certificate as still under registration, so check its current status. See the SAQA record for the Level 5 qualification.
Tax, Licence and Compliance Requirements
Employers pay the Skills Development Levy of 1% of total salaries, and SARS exempts employers whose leviable amount over the next 12 months will not exceed R500 000. Whether your training costs can be claimed back through a SETA depends on that SETA’s grant rules, which must be confirmed with the SETA. See the SARS page on the Skills Development Levy.
Qualifications. The current registered practitioner qualification is the Higher Occupational Certificate: Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner, NQF Level 5, 120 credits, with HWSETA as development quality partner. It is registered from 30 January 2024 to 30 January 2029, with last enrolment on 30 January 2030. It replaces the 256-credit Occupational Certificate: Safety, Health and Quality Practitioner, whose registration ended on 30 December 2025; its last date for enrolment is 30 December 2026 and for achievement 30 December 2029 (see the SAQA record).
Construction. The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) registers construction health and safety practitioners in categories: Candidate CHSO, CHSO, CHSM, Candidate CHSA and CHSA. Each category has its own documentation requirements; check the SACPCMP register categories for the current list.
Mining. Mining is governed by the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996, under which the mine manager must provide the training employees need to work safely. The Act also establishes a Mining Qualifications Authority to advise on a qualifications framework. General industry courses may not meet a mine’s requirements, so confirm with the mine.
Process, Deadlines and Ongoing Obligations
- Identify the hazards in your workplace and who needs which training
- Check that each programme is registered on the SAQA register or accredited by the body the provider names, and verify this with that body rather than the provider
- Appoint and train first aiders and, where required, health and safety representatives
- Keep signed training records and track certificate dates, because a first aid certificate must be valid
- Review training after any change in equipment, process or premises
To check a programme, search the SAQA qualification register. A certificate that cannot be traced to an accrediting body or a registered qualification is a warning sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for an occupational health and safety course?
For employee training there is no fixed legal entry requirement: the employer must provide the training needed for the work. For the SAQA-registered Level 5 practitioner qualification, the recorded entry route is the Level 4 Occupational Health and Safety Officer certificate or recognition of prior learning. Individual providers set their own fees and extra requirements.
What do I need for an occupational health and safety officer course?
SAQA records the Level 4 National Occupational Certificate: Occupational Health and Safety Officer only as an entry requirement for the Level 5 qualification, and shows it as under registration. Confirm the Level 4 qualification’s current status or entry requirements, so ask the provider which body accredits it and check SAQA.
Who pays for safety training?
The employer. The Act requires the employer to provide training, and section 23 stops the employer charging the employee for it.
Do first aiders need a certificate?
Yes. The regulations require a valid first aid certificate from an organisation approved by the Chief Inspector. The regulation was amended in December 2025, so confirm the current thresholds and validity period with the Department of Employment and Labour.
Is there a different route in construction or mining?
Yes. Construction health and safety practitioners register with the SACPCMP in defined categories, and mining is governed by the Mine Health and Safety Act.
Confirm current training duties with the Department of Employment and Labour, and check qualifications with SAQA. See business and compliance requirements and browse company registration requirements.