Ohs Act 16.1 Appointment Letter Template ⚡

a) Approve budget expenditures for safety equipment. b) Hire or fire employees for safety violations (may only recommend). c) Assume responsibility for engineering controls or structural building safety.

NOW THEREFORE, the Employer hereby appoints the Appointee to act as the designated representative for the following specific functions.

☐ The [e.g., Main Assembly Warehouse, Building B] ☐ Specific Process: [e.g., Lockout/Tagout for Hydraulic Press #4] ☐ Specific Shift: [e.g., Night Shift, 22:00 – 06:00]

A vague letter says: “I don’t care about the details.” A specific, resourced letter says: “I have thought about the hazards, and I have empowered you to fix them.” ohs act 16.1 appointment letter template

The Appointee is authorized to:

The Appointee is authorized and directed to perform the following duties only in relation to: [Check one or specify]

This appointment commences on [Date] and remains in force until revoked in writing. A formal review of this appointment’s adequacy will occur on [Date, max 12 months]. a) Approve budget expenditures for safety equipment

In terms of Section 16.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act [Insert Applicable Act & Year, e.g., Act 85 of 1993]

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. OHS Acts vary by country and state (e.g., South Africa’s OHSA, Canada’s COHS, UK’s HSWA). You must consult a qualified OHS attorney to adapt this template to your specific jurisdiction and industry.

____________________ Appointment Number: OHS/16.1/202X/___ NOW THEREFORE, the Employer hereby appoints the Appointee

If your “appointment letter” is a three-line email saying, “You’re the safety guy, go fix it,” you haven’t appointed a representative. You’ve created a scapegoat. And when an incident occurs, the prosecutor will ask one question: What exactly were they appointed to do?

If you are a CEO, Managing Director, or sole proprietor, you cannot personally sign off on every risk assessment, every confined space entry, or every lockout/tagout procedure. You have to delegate. But under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (specifically Section 16.1), when you delegate a duty, you do not delegate the liability.