What is an AIA inspection, and which AIA do you need?

Short answer: an AIA inspection is work a regulation reserves for an approved inspection authority, and you need one approved for that specific service. In occupational hygiene, that means noise, hazardous chemical agents, lead and asbestos. Pressure equipment, hazardous-area electrical machinery and lifts have their own rules.

Section 1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 defines an inspection authority as a person who uses specialised knowledge, equipment, tests or sampling to make findings, purporting to be objective, on matters such as health or the risk to health, and certifies them. An approved inspection authority (AIA) is approved by the chief inspector for a particular service only: an asbestos approval does not cover noise. Some work needs a competent person instead.

Which AIA the hygiene regulations require

• Noise: monitoring by an approved noise inspection authority at least every 24 months where employees may be exposed at or above the noise-rating limit, or the action level with ototoxic chemicals or whole-body vibration (Noise Exposure Regulations, 2024, regulation 8).

• Hazardous chemical agents: where employees may be exposed, air monitoring by an AIA at least every 24 months for agents with an exposure limit in Table 2 or 3 of Annexure 2 (Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 2021, regulation 6). Engineering controls, such as local extraction ventilation, must also be thoroughly examined and tested by an AIA at least every 24 months (regulation 12(b)).

• Lead: where airborne exposure exceeds half the exposure limit, measurements at least every 12 months by an approved lead inspection authority or a person it has verified (Lead Regulations, 2001, regulation 7). Engineering controls must be examined and tested at least every 24 months by an AIA approved for such tests, or a person it has verified (regulation 14(b)).

• Asbestos: an AIA reviews and endorses the asbestos inventory and risk assessment at least every six years, unless an AIA did that work (Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020, regulation 5(7)). In type 2 and 3 asbestos work it compiles the plan of work and performs planned air monitoring (regulation 13), then issues a written declaration for clearance certification (regulation 22).

Other fields, other rules

• Pressure equipment: an AIA witnesses the inspection and hydraulic test of steam generators and pressure vessels before commissioning. In service, an AIA appointed by the user in writing inspects and tests them at least every 36 months, unless a risk-based inspection system is used, and inspects fire-tube steam generators externally every 12 months. The user may inspect and test Category I equipment (Pressure Equipment Regulations, 2009, regulations 11(1) and 12).

• Electrical machinery in hazardous locations: you must hold an AIA's certificate that the machinery was manufactured and tested for the dangerous articles concerned, unless an inspector approves permanent labelling (Electrical Machinery Regulations, 2011, regulation 9(3)).

• Lifts, escalators and passenger conveyors: an inspection service provider, accredited by SANAS and employing a registered lift inspector, inspects and tests them at least every 24 months (Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulations, 2010, regulations 1 and 6(1)).

How to check an AIA

• The Department's list: the Department of Employment and Labour publishes AIA lists by field. Its occupational health and hygiene list gives each AIA's regulatory field, scope of activities, approval number, and effective and expiry dates.

• The approval certificate: an occupational health AIA's certificate is valid for at most four years and shows the approval number, date of approval and the specific services approved.

• SANAS accreditation: the Department requires an occupational health AIA to hold it, and an organisation is accredited only for the services on its schedule of accreditation.

What a hygiene AIA survey involves

Before the survey:

• Start from the risk assessment: it decides who may be exposed and which monitoring is required (noise regulation 8(1); chemical agents regulation 5(4)).

• Inform health and safety representatives: chemical and lead monitoring may only start after the representative or committee has been informed and given a reasonable opportunity to comment.

• Plan a normal working day: results must represent employees' exposure. Have process details, safety data sheets and previous reports ready.

The Department's guideline on monitoring reports sets minimum content, including where, when and by whom monitoring was done; the sampling strategy; each instrument's serial number and last calibration date; results compared with exposure standards, highlighting high-risk exposures; recommendations linked to the tasks causing exposure; and the Technical Signatory's name and signature on every page. For noise, you must then develop a documented action plan (regulation 8(4)).

A quick self-check

• List the statutory inspections your site needs, including pressure vessels and lifts.

• Check that each AIA report's firm was approved for that field on the survey date.

• Book noise and chemical surveys and engineering control tests before 24 months pass, and lead monitoring before 12.

• Check when an AIA last endorsed your asbestos inventory and risk assessment, unless an AIA compiled them.

• Confirm that each report's recommendations have an action plan, and that it is followed.

How Qualitas can help

Qualitas Occupational Consulting is a Department of Employment and Labour Approved Inspection Authority and a SANAS-accredited (ISO/IEC 17020) inspection body for asbestos, lead, noise and hazardous chemical agents. Our noise surveys, hazardous chemical agents surveys, lead monitoring and asbestos assessments cover those four fields. Our approval for hazardous chemical agents also covers the regulation 12(b) examinations and tests, so our local exhaust ventilation surveys can serve as your 24-month statutory test. For pressure equipment, electrical machinery or lifts, appoint a body approved or accredited in that field.

Not sure what your site needs? Start with our free Compliance Gap Analysis, request a quote, or call or WhatsApp 082 649 6599.

This article is general guidance based on the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and the regulations named above. It is not legal advice; refer to the Act and the regulations for the full requirements.

Christo de Wet is a SAIOH-registered occupational hygienist with 15 years' experience and the founder of Qualitas Occupational Consulting.