Logistics
LogisticsDepots, yards and fleets, checked before the wheels turn.
Logistics work happens across depots, loading bays and the road. Pre-use checks, forklift records and incident reports are easy to skip when everyone is moving. ProComply keeps them on the phone that is already in the cab.
Where it goes wrong
The hazards that come up most on logistics work, and where the daily checks matter.
- Vehicles reversing and manoeuvring in yards and loading bays
- Forklifts working near people on foot
- Loading, securing and unloading cargo
- Drivers working alone and away from base
- Manual handling and slips at the dock
What the law asks
A summary of the main requirements, taken from the Act and Regulations themselves, with links to the official text.
Last reviewed 8 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
General duty
The employer must provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to health.
OHS Act s8(1)
Source: Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (labour.gov.za)
Forklifts and other lifting machines
Every lifting machine, including a forklift, must be operated by someone specifically trained for that type of machine. For machines listed in the national code of practice, the operator needs a certificate from an accredited training provider.
DMR 18(11)
Lifting machines need a thorough examination and performance test by a lifting machinery inspector before first use, after being re-erected, and at least every 12 months.
DMR 18(5)
Ropes, chains, hooks, brakes and safety devices on the machine must be examined by a competent person at least every six months, and a register of tests and examinations kept on the premises.
DMR 18(6), 18(7)
Source: Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (gov.za)
When someone is injured
The employer must report an employee’s workplace accident to the Compensation Commissioner within seven days of learning about it.
COID Act s39(1)
Source: Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 (gov.za)
Checklists ready for logistics
These standard templates come with ProComply, alongside the general ones every site uses, such as the daily site safety inspection and toolbox talk record. Use them as they are, or change them to suit your sites.
How checklists work- Vehicle & Fleet Pre-Use Check
- Loading Bay Inspection
- Forklift Pre-Use Check
- Daily Warehouse Inspection
- Incident / Near Miss Report
Guides on this topic
- Incidents and COIDCOID: reporting injuries and the records you needWhat the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act requires when an employee is injured at work: who tells whom, the seven day deadline, and the separate duty to report under the OHS Act.
- Incidents and COIDIncident reporting and investigation under the OHS ActPublishing soon
- TemplatesDaily site inspection checklists, with free templatesWhy a short daily inspection is one of the most useful habits on a high risk site, what a good one covers, how to make it stick, and a printable daily site inspection checklist.
Get started
See it with your own sites in mind.
Book a demo and we will walk through ProComply using the kind of work you do, the checklists you need and the way your sites are run. Or start now and set up your first site today.