The Ministry of Employment and Labor invited public comments on the newly published Draft Construction Regulations 2025, which aims to strengthen occupational safety and health (OHS) in the construction sector.
In a statement Wednesday, the department said the proposed regulations have been set to replace the construction regulations in 2014 and are open for written submissions from stakeholders, including industry experts and the public.
A comprehensive copy of the draft construction rules is available for comment here.
“The draft construction regulations were published on March 12, 2025 for public comment. The Department of Employment and Labor has identified the need to amend current construction regulations so that stricter requirements will be placed on clients, designers and contractors to prevent construction-related incidents,” the department said.
Important changes to current construction regulations include:
Revised existing definitions to redefine the scope of construction work new definitions to introduce additional construction projects health and safety manager appointments electronic health and safety files approval
These regulations apply to anyone involved in construction work during the lifecycle of the project. Owner of the structure for the future life of the structure. However, the regulations exclude construction work carried out in connection with a single-storey residence for clients who will reside in such residences upon completion.
“As for OHS, any interested parties who wish to comment on the draft regulations will be invited in writing within 90 days of the date of publication of this notice (March 12, 2025). The deadline for submission is June 12, 2025,” the department said.
The department said anyone who violates or fails to comply with regulations can commit a crime, be found guilty and face a fine or imprisonment of up to 12 months.
For ongoing offences, an additional fine of R200 per day or a one-day imprisonment sentence per day may be imposed, with a maximum additional term of 90 days.
All expressions and comments must be sent by hand to the Director of the Ministry of Employment and Labor for caution: Hilton Ganesen.
