Is cement dust a hazardous chemical agent?

Yes. Cement and clinker dust irritate the lungs, eyes and skin, and may contain silica. Cement works need a chemical risk assessment and dust monitoring.

What about phosphine in fumigated grain silos?

Phosphine is highly toxic. The risk assessment must cover fumigation, ventilation and re-entry, and staff working near fumigated grain may need exposure monitoring.

Does a limestone quarry fall under the mining law?

Yes. Quarries fall under the Mine Health and Safety Act, which requires occupational hygiene measurements. Qualitas can hold the section 12(1) appointment for surface operations.

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE IN LICHTENBURG

Lichtenburg combines cement manufacturing and limestone and dolomite quarrying with one of South Africa's main maize-growing districts, served by grain silos, mills and agricultural co-operatives.

Qualitas carries out occupational hygiene surveys for these employers: dust and silica monitoring, noise surveys, grain dust and fumigant assessments, and heat stress surveys.

REACH OUT

Worker cutting steel with an angle grinder as sparks fly

WHERE WE WORK AROUND LICHTENBURG

Lichtenburg

Itsoseng and Boikhutso

Coligny

Blydeville

Mahikeng

Sannieshof

Cement works: cement and clinker dust, noise from mills and kilns, and heat around the kiln.

Limestone and dolomite quarries. Qualitas carries out occupational hygiene assessments on mines under the Mine Health and Safety Act (29 of 1996), and can hold the section 12(1) occupational hygiene appointment for surface operations.

Grain silos, maize mills and feed plants: grain dust, fumigants such as phosphine, and noise.

Agricultural co-operatives and agrochemical stores: pesticides and fertilisers.

Engineering and transport workshops: welding fume and noise.

THE HAZARDS WE MEASURE HERE

Cement and limestone dust, respirable silica, grain dust, fumigants and pesticides, noise from mills, crushers and kilns, and heat in summer and near kilns.

Interior of a large industrial warehouse with overhead cranes

INDUSTRIES WE SERVE

Foundry workers in protective gear pouring molten metal

WHY QUALITAS

Qualitas Occupational Consulting is a Department of Employment and Labour Approved Inspection Authority (AIA) and a SANAS-accredited (ISO/IEC 17020) inspection body for asbestos, lead, noise and hazardous chemical agents, and applies the same quality system to all its assessments.

Every assessment is led by Christo de Wet, an occupational hygienist registered with the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH), with 15 years of experience.

We work nationwide, and Qualitas has also carried out assessments in Botswana and Kazakhstan. Travel is quoted upfront.

You receive a professional, audit-ready report that stands up to inspection by the Department of Employment and Labour.