Crime is the biggest workplace hazard in SA

Crime is the biggest workplace hazard in South Africa, yet it’s often overlooked under the guise of “health and safety compliance.” Over 20 years of conducting security risk assessments, I’ve seen a dangerous pattern repeat itself: when one person in a company is responsible for both health and safety and security, security always loses.

Why? Because health and safety is backed by legislation, strict audits, and enforcement, it demands 90% of that person’s time. Security, however, isn’t legally enforced in the same way, so it’s often sidelined. Companies only realise the cost of this imbalance after tragedy strikes such as a hijacking, kidnapping, or even a workplace murder. When security protocols fail, courts call it what it is: negligence.

Why Crime Cannot Be Ignored in Health and Safety
Health and safety and security are two sides of the same coin. A workplace cannot be “safe” if crime is ignored. The Health and Safety Act defines a hazard as any source of danger and in South Africa, crime is one of the most certain dangers we face. Ignoring it doesn’t make a company compliant; it makes it vulnerable.

Most businesses believe they’re compliant because they pass fire drills and PPE checks, but they overlook the most obvious hazard in the country which is crime. A hijacking in the parking lot, an armed robbery in a store, or an assault at a poorly lit gate are all foreseeable risks that fall under the employer’s duty to provide a safe environment.

If crime is a danger, it’s a hazard. And if a workplace is not free of hazards, it is not safe. That makes the absence of a proper security risk assessment a form of negligence.

Two Assessments: Before and After

Proactive Assessment – Identifies weaknesses before an incident, offering cost-effective prevention.
Reactive Assessment – Conducted after a crime, when lawyers or families demand to know where the failures occurred.

Unfortunately, most South African companies wait until after the crime.

The Hard Truth
Fire drills won’t stop hijackings.
Compliance checklists won’t prevent kidnappings.
And no amount of PPE will protect against armed crime.

Crime is the biggest workplace hazard in South Africa and until businesses recognise it as part of health and safety, workplaces will remain exposed, and employers will remain liable.

1. PSIRA 2038881
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Crime is the biggest workplace hazard in SA
Health and Safety vs. Security – Why Security Always Loses
I have seen this play out over 20 years of doing risk assessments. When one person in a company
is given both health and safety and security responsibilities, security almost always loses. Why?
Because health and safety are backed by strong laws and strict enforcement. It takes 90% of the
person’s time and effort. Security, on the other hand, is not directly demanded by law, so it gets
pushed aside.
Companies only realise this mistake when it’s too late. After a hijacking. After a kidnapping. After
a murder on-site. When the evidence shows that the “security protocols” were not up to standard,
the courts call it what it is: negligence.
Why Crime Cannot Be Ignored in Health and Safety
Health and safety and security are like two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the
other. Without both sides, the coin (and the protection it represents) is useless.
But here’s the mistake many businesses make: they put health and safety and security in the
hands of one person. This is where problems begin.
Health and safety are one leg. It should be managed by its own dedicated manager.
Security is the second leg. It must also be managed and controlled by a different person, because
the rules are completely different.
Only when these two legs stand firmly on their own can they come together to form a strong
foundation: a workplace that is risk-free and hazard-free.
Think of it this way:
• The Health and Safety Manager focuses on documents, compliance, and ticking the
boxes required by law.
• The Security Manager deals with evidence, guards, protocols, and real-time threats.


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PSIRA 2038881
Reference# 25/10/2912:59:35
Reasoning with crime is Futile. I remind myself daily: crime can’t be undone.
2025-10-2912:59:35

2. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 2 of 4
Two very different disciplines, but both essential.
Right now, in most organisations, health and safety is assessed and managed internally by the
same people. This creates a flaw. It’s like writing your own exam, marking it yourself, and then
declaring that you passed. There’s no independence, and no one to challenge complacency.
If this same “self-marking” approach is applied to security, it becomes an even bigger flaw. A
proper risk assessment (whether health, safety, or security) cannot be truly accurate if it is not
independent.
We must understand that health and safety and security are two separate structures with
different disciplines:
• Health and safety are guided by the law, often measured by probability and likelihood.
• Security is guided by crime risk, measured by opportunity.
Most companies believe they are compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)
in South Africa because they tick the boxes for fire drills, first aid kits, and personal protective
equipment. On paper, it looks perfect. But there’s one dangerous gap most businesses ignore:
crime is not seen as a health and safety risk.
The OHSA says employers must provide a workplace that is safe and without risk to the health of
employees. That doesn’t only mean preventing accidents with machines or chemicals; it also
means protecting people from foreseeable dangers. And in South Africa, crime is not just
foreseeable; it is guaranteed.
Think about it:
• An employee working late can be hijacked in the parking lot.
• A cashier handling money could be attacked during a robbery.
• A poorly lit entrance can invite kidnappings or assaults.
Yet many employers overlook these threats. If an employee is harmed because there wasn’t
proper security in place, it is not only a crime issue, it is a health and safety breach. The company
has failed in its duty to provide a safe working environment.
Let me explain the Missing Link in OHSA
Here’s where the law gets interesting. The Health and Safety Act uses two important words:
"hazard" and "safe".
• A hazard is any source of danger.
• Safe means free from hazards.
If crime is a danger (and we all know it is), then crime is a hazard. Which means a workplace
cannot be “safe” if crime is ignored. That makes the lack of a proper security risk assessment
(research) and security system (solutions) a form of negligence.

3. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 3 of 4
This is why a Security Risk Assessment should be part of every company’s health and safety
plan. Just like you wouldn’t run a factory without a fire risk plan, you should not run a business
without knowing the security risks crime poses to your people, property, and operations.
Two Types of Assessments: Before and After
In my experience, there are two kinds of security risk assessments:
1. Proactive Assessment – Done before something happens. Weak points are identified,
crime risks are measured, and practical steps are given to prevent incidents. This is the
smart and cost-effective option.
2. Reactive Assessment – Done after a crime. These are often ordered by lawyers, families,
or the courts. They ask, "Who made the bad decision?" Where were the failures? Was this
negligence? At this stage, it’s not about prevention anymore; it’s about blame.
(https://alwinco.co.za/service/different-types-of-security-risk-assessments/)
Sadly, most companies wait for the second one.
The Hard Truth
Fire drills won’t stop a hijacking.
Crime is the biggest workplace hazard in SA — but most companies ignore it.
Right now, about 99% of organisations in South Africa are not truly compliant with the Health and
Safety Act, because they ignore security. They may pass the checklist for fire drills and protective
gear, but they leave their staff vulnerable to crime.
the most obvious hazard in our country.
Some will argue against this idea. Others will agree. The final verdict will only be tested in court
when an employer is held responsible for failing to protect their people. But the writing is already
on the wall: Two legs – crime and health and safety.
A workplace is only truly safe when crime risks are identified, controlled, and reduced. Employers
who ignore this are not just gambling with compliance; they are gambling with lives.

4. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 4 of 4
Alwinco Team
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