What do the Physical Agents Regulations, 2024 require?

Short answer: a competent person must carry out a documented risk assessment at least every 24 months, and monitoring wherever it shows exposure may reach a limit or guideline value. The Physical Agents Regulations, 2024 also require controls, training, medical screening where indicated, and records, for heat and cold stress, lighting, indoor air quality, vibration and non-ionising radiation. Noise falls under the Noise Exposure Regulations instead.

The regulations were published as Government Notice 5952 in Government Gazette 52226 on 6 March 2025. They set no later commencement date, so they took effect on publication. Government Notice 7149 (Government Gazette 54177, 20 February 2026) amended them: it corrected the wording of regulation 3(4)(k) and changed entries in Tables 2, 4 and 6. Regulation 21 repealed the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, 1987, 18 months after promulgation, on 6 September 2026.

Who and what the regulations cover

They apply to every employer or self-employed person whose work may expose any person to a physical agent, and to designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of plant and machinery (regulation 2). Each agent has its own regulation:

• Cold stress (regulation 9): controls, insulated clothing and the exposure periods in Table 8.

• Heat stress (regulation 10): limits based on the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index, and clothing adjustment values in Table 9.

• Illumination (regulation 11): minimum maintained average illuminance values in Tables 4 to 7.

• Indoor air quality (regulation 12): guideline levels in Table 3.

• Vibration (regulation 13): hand-arm and whole-body vibration limits in Table 1.

• Occupational non-ionising radiation (regulation 14): limits in Tables 1 and 2.

The general duties

• Risk assessment (regulation 6): documented and done by a competent person, before exposure as far as reasonably practicable, then at intervals not exceeding 24 months. It must consider the effects on men, women, young and vulnerable employees, and lead to a documented action plan. Review it sooner after, for example, changes to the work, an incident, failing controls or an adverse medical surveillance finding.

• Exposure monitoring (regulation 7): required where the risk assessment shows an employee may be exposed at or above a Table 1 or 2 limit, or at, above or outside a Table 3 guideline value. A competent person must do it with calibrated instruments, at the frequency the risk assessment sets or at least every 24 months. An inspector may direct you in writing to repeat it.

• Medical screening and surveillance (regulation 8): where the risk assessment shows a need, and for vulnerable employees if an occupational medicine practitioner advises it. An occupational health practitioner screens employees before they start, then at intervals not exceeding 24 months, and again when they leave.

• Training (regulation 3): before any exposure, with refresher training at least once a year. Consult your health and safety representatives or committee before a risk assessment, monitoring or training takes place.

• Controls (regulations 15 and 17): eliminate exposure where reasonably practicable. A competent person must inspect and test control measures at intervals not exceeding 24 months.

• Records (regulation 18): keep training, assessment, monitoring, medical and maintenance records for 40 years.

Table 1: the limits that trigger action

• Heat stress: action level 27 °C and limit 30 °C (WBGT index), over 1 hour.

• Cold stress: limit 10 °C equivalent chill temperature (ECT), over 4 hours, with no action level.

• Hand-arm vibration: action level 2,5 m/s² and limit 5 m/s², over 8 hours.

• Whole-body vibration: action level 0,5 m/s² and limit 1,15 m/s², over 8 hours.

• Ultraviolet radiation: limit 0,1 µW/cm², over 8 hours.

• Infrared radiation: limit 10 mW/cm², over 1 000 seconds.

The limits are time-weighted averages over the duration shown. Note that the cold stress limit is 10 °C, not a sub-zero figure, and regulation 9 applies at or below it. Chillers and cold rooms with an ECT of 10 °C or lower are therefore covered, not only freezers.

Our articles on heat stress, cold stress, lighting levels, indoor air quality and vibration explain each agent in detail.

Who may do the work

The regulations do not require an approved inspection authority for any physical agent. Risk assessments, monitoring, and the inspection and testing of controls must be done by a competent person: someone with the knowledge, training and experience in the physical agent who is familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. For monitoring and the testing of controls, the definition also requires relevant qualifications specific to, or including, that agent. Our article on approved inspection authorities and competent persons explains the difference.

A quick self-check

• Find your latest physical agent risk assessment. If it is older than 24 months, or was done under the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, plan a new one.

• Check that it covers every agent present on your site, not only lighting.

• Replace references to the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, 1987 in your procedures and risk assessments.

• Ask whoever does your monitoring for proof of qualifications in each agent and current calibration certificates.

• Confirm that refresher training happens at least once a year and that records are kept for 40 years.

How Qualitas can help

Qualitas carries out heat stress, cold stress, illumination, indoor air quality and hand-arm and whole-body vibration surveys. Our reports, written for management, SHEQ teams and auditors, compare the results with the limits and guideline values in the regulations and recommend practical controls.

Our article on occupational health risk assessments shows how physical agents fit with your noise, chemical and other assessments.

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 summarises the Physical Agents Regulations, 2024 (Government Notice 5952, Government Gazette 52226, 6 March 2025), as amended by Government Notice 7149 (Government Gazette 54177, 20 February 2026), for general guidance. It is not legal advice; refer to 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.