About the DVD

The SafeBuild DVD series was borne out of a need to provide the Industry with a locally produced Occupational Health & Safety training aide that would assist in educating and informing all persons working in the Construction Industry.

At the start of the project there was no single training resource for the South African Construction Industry. The resources available, focused largely on individual elements of Health & Safety and were imported from overseas where working conditions and legislation were often very different to that in South Africa. These DVD's were often very expensive, putting them out of the reach of the people that needed them most.

With the above in mind, we put together a technical team of experts and sourced a local video production company (Sesalos) to produce the SafeBuild DVD series. We wanted the material to be comprehensive and to be based on local legislation and regulations.

Another critical consideration was to make the DVD available in 5 official languages; English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. This easy to use facility on the discs enables workers to be able to view and take in the important lessons in their own language. 

Our final goal was to make the DVD available at an affordable price. This will enable the greatest possible uptake of the SafeBuild DVD throughout South Africa, which will mean that more workers and Industry Stakeholders are taught how to work safely and how to create a safe working environment. Through the generous assistance of our marketing partner, Federated Employers Mutual (FEM), we were able to keep the launch price below R1500. 

We trust that the SafeBuild DVD will assist in lowering the frequency of incidents and accidents on South African construction sites and if just one life is saved through the lessons and guidelines contained in the DVD, we will feel that we have made a positive contribution to the Industry. 

A project as large as this one does not happen without the assistance of a number of key people and companies.

About Us

The SafeBuild DVD series was produced by The Master Builders Association of KwaZulu-Natal under the guidance of Neels Nortjie (Health & Safety Manager) and our technical team.

The Association is an employers' organisation registered in terms of the Labour Relations Act and exists to represent the interests of members, as well as to provide them with specialist support services to assist them in the successful running of their businesses. The membership comprises some 600 enterprises involved in the building industry and related activities in the province of KwaZulu Natal. The organisation has been in existence for 108 years and is recognised and respected by a wide range of role players in the building industry and beyond.
Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal has a rich Occupational Health & Safety culture and was instrumental in launching an annual regional and national Health & Safety competition. In 2009, our members won 9 out of the 10 National categories.

Neels is the Association's appointed Health and Safety Manager and has served the Association in this position for more than ten years.

He started his working career with ESKOM in 1981 where he qualified as a Draughtsman. In 1986 he changed his focus to Safety Risk Management and later qualified as an Occupational Health and Safety Risk Management Officer. He currently holds a National Diploma in Safety Management and has been practicing Occupational Health and Safety for the past 22 years.

He served as President of the South African Institute of Safety Management. He is a founder member of the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and is currently the Chairperson of their Durban Branch. He was elected as the Institute's National Safety Practitioner of the year, and currently serves on the Minister of Labour's Advisory Council for Occupational Health and Safety.

When it comes to Construction Health in Safety in South Africa, Neels is widely regarded as the industry's leading expert.