GCC Factories OHS Act Exam Preparation Programme

Overview

It's often a misconception that the GCC Factories OHS Act exam is easier than the plant engineering exam. This misconception is fueled by the fact that the OHS Act exam is a theory exam, and learning theory is straightforward.

This misconception leads many GCC Factories Candidates to take the OHS Act exam for granted and not put enough effort into devising a realistic study plan and finding ways to summarise the content in a manner that will help them pass the exam.

The GCC Factories OHS Act exam is difficult. You must learn the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the twenty-three-plus regulations. What makes it even more difficult is that the Department of Employment and Labour reviews several of these regulations. In recent exams, the examiner has been including questions from the Health and Safety Standards and Codes of Good Practice associated with the regulations.

Our GCC Factories OHS Act Exam Preparation Programme is designed to assist candidates in removing all the guesswork, developing comprehensive study sheets, saving learners' study time, and providing a convenient way of preparing for the exam.

Our GCC Factories OHS Act Exam Preparation goes beyond just preparing and passing the exam. We also have a special emphasis on how to implement the various regulations to ensure that you fulfill your role as a GMR 2.7(a) or 2.1 once you obtain the GCC Factories.

2025 Intake Closing Dates

Semester 1 closing date: 12 February 2025

Semester 1 start date: 13 February 2025

Features and Benefits

South African Corporations trust us to help their Engineers, Technicians, and Artisans obtain the GCC Factories.

We have helped employees from Eskom, Astron Energy, De Beers, Sasol, Afrisam, Illovo, ArcelorMittal, SAB, Saint-Gobain, and many more corporations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the Online Classes conducted?

The GCC Factories OHS Act Exam Programme is delivered over 16 weeks and consists of:

• Five (5) live online classes aimed at delivering the theory content and how to deal with exam-type questions.
• One (1) revision classes aimed at coaching students on answering exam-type questions.

There is a total of six (6) classes that the student will have to attend.

The classes are conducted via Teams Webinar from 6 PM to 9 PM, as per the schedule

Benefits:

• Prepare for the GCC Factories Exams anywhere in South Africa and the world
• Reduce the traveling risk and time
• Study in the comfort of your home or office
• Save on traveling, accommodation, and living out costs
• Follow a realistic study plan

What content will be covered?

1. Occupational health and safety act
2. Asbestos regulations
3. Lead regulations
4. Hazardous chemical substances regulations
5. Hazardous Biological Agents
6. Noise induced hearing loss regulations
7. Pressure equipment regulations
8. Lift, escallators, and passenger conveyor regulations
9. Driven machinery regulations
10. Electrical machinery regulations
11. General administrative regulations
12. General safety regulations
13. Facilities regulations
14. Environmental regulations for workplaces
15. Electrical installation regulations
16. Major hazardous installation regulations
17. Explosives regulations
18. General machinery regulations
19. Construction regulations
20. Diving regulations
21. Ergonomics regulations

What is the course schedule?

Week 1:

• Orientation
• OHS Act

Week 2:

• Hazardous Chemical Agents (HCA)
• Lead Regulations (LR)
• Asbestos Regulations (AR)
• Hazardous Biological Agents Regulations (HBA)
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Regulations (NIHL)
  

Week 3 - Class 1 (OHS Act + Substance Regulations)

Week 4:

• Lifts, Escalators, and Passenger Conveyors Regulations (LEPC)
• Driven Machinery Regulations (DMR)
• Electrical Machinery Regulations (EMR)
  

Week 5 - Class 2 (LEPC, DMR, EMR)

Week 6:

• General Administrative Regulations (GAR)
• General Safety Regulations (GSR)
• Facilities Regulations (FR)
• Environmental Regulations for Workplaces (ERW)
  

Week 7 - Class 3 (GAR, GSR, FR, ERW)

Week 8:

• Electrical Installation Regulations (EIR)
• Major Hazardous Installation Regulations (MHI)
• Explosives Regulations (ER)
  

Week 9 - Class 4 (EIR, MHI, ER)

Week 10:

• General Machinery Regulations (GMR)
• Construction Regulations (CR)
• Diving Regulations (DR)
• Ergonomics Regulations (EGR)
  

Week 11 - Class 5 (GMR, CR, DR, EGR)

Week 12 - Master OHS Act, GAR, GSR

Week 13 - Master electrical regulations

Week 14 - Master mechanical regulations

Week 15 - Practice exams

Week 16 - Practice exams

Class times: 6 PM to 9 PM, usually on Thursdays

Six (6) classes in total

NOTE: The schedule is subject to change.

Time commitment

You are expected to attend the five online classes as per the schedule and the one pre-exam revision class.

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Every class will start promptly at 6 PM and end at 9 PM. The classes are delivered fortnightly online via Microsoft Teams Webinar.

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The classes facilitate the basic approach to answering exam-type questions. The theory is delivered via on-demand Learner Management System (LMS) videos.

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The programme's online option is a webinar delivered via Microsoft Teams Webinar; there is no in-person attendance option.

Certification

The GCC Factories OHS Act Exam Preparation Programme is an accredited short course with the Engineering Council of South Africa (5 CPD points).

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To claim the full CPD points, you must have an attendance rate of at least 80% (i.e., attend at least five of the six classes).

About On-demand Videos

The GCC Factories Programme has a blended approach consisting of live classes, study guides, and on-demand videos to supplement and enhance learning.

The on-demand videos explain the key concepts and provide some examples. We use on-demand videos to supplement the content covered during class. Ordinarily, the class content is summarised, and the on-demand videos are detailed.

What you'll learn

• Exam context & preparation strategy for success
• Important exam content
• How to answer exam questions
• Role of the GMR 2.1 in assuring safety & compliance

Who should attend?

• GCC Factories mechanical or electrical candidates (Ideally)
• Mechanical or electrical engineers, technicians, and artisans with N6​

Applicable industries

• Consumer goods: FMCG, Tobacco, Beverages, and Distilleries
• Energy: Oil, Gas, Energy, and Utilities
• Manufacturing: Chemicals, Automotive, Food Production, Glass, Ceramics, Concrete, Packaging, Plastics, and Paper

Typical employers

• Consumer goods: Unilever, British American Tobacco, SAB, and Distell
• Energy: Sasol, Engen, and Eskom
• Manufacturing: BASF, Toyota, Tongaat Hullet, Consol, Saint-Gobain, Nampak, and Sappi

Career prospects

• Engineering manager
• Maintenance manager
• GMR 2.1 Legal appointment (Engineer in Charge)
• Maintenance or plant engineer

Is the course NQF rated?

The online short courses offered by Palucraft results in a certificate of completion issued by Palucraft.

In line with the regulations of the CHE (Council on Higher Education) the short courses are not aligned to, or allocated NQF levels or credits as the short courses do not lead to full qualifications.

The NQF system is important from an articulation standpoint (moving from one qualification to another). The short courses are designed to offer practical, workplace-relevant skills and not as a vehicle for articulation into qualifications.

Can an employer claim skills development expenditure from this course?

Yes. If the employer pays for his/her employees, they can claim the skills development expenditure in accordance with the Learning Programme Matrix guidelines.

What is the classification of the course in terms of the BBBEE Skills Development Expenditure Learning Programme Matrix?

Course is a Category F (informal training) aimed at continued professional development and a certificate of attendance will be issued.

The employer can claim 25% of the value of the training against the skills development expenditure.

How will the Employer benefit from sending their employees to this course?

Employers will be in a position to comply with the General Machinery Regulation (GMR) 2.4 by having a GMR 2.1 appointee who meets the competency requirements.

Appointment of a GMR 2.1 with the GCC Factories (or BEng + passed the GCC Factories OHS Act exam) is a legal requirement that every employer where :

1. the sum of the power generated by machinery in their premises is above 3000 kW or

2. the maximum demand over a continuous period of 30 minutes is above 10 000 kVA.

Click here to learn more about the GCC factories requirements.

What will be the BBBEE recognition spend for Enterprise & supplier development?

Palucraft has a BBBEE Level 1 recognition level. The recognition spend will be 135% towards the employer's BBBEE scorecard.

Is there a payment plan for the course?

Yes. Our payment plan option is available to individuals only and is as follows:

• Month One Payment: 50%
• Month Two Payment: 25%
• Month Three Payment: 25%