Dekra Institute of Learning: expanding roots for a brighter future and championing occupational and workplace safety at A-OSH 2024
A-OSH 2024, scheduled from 11 -13 June, focuses on delivering solutions to mitigate workplace occupational safety and health risks, and ensure compliance with the occupational health and safety (OHS) Act.
In many industry sectors, there is an increasing emphasis on companies taking ownership of health and safety. Recent events, such as the tragic building collapse in George, have highlighted an enormous need for accountability and is a sobering reminder of the need to adhere to quality protocols and best practices when it comes to health and safety.
As a leading adult-based education and occupational skills training provider – including of health and safety-related courses – Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL) is exhibiting again this year at A-OSH 2024.
Expanding roots for a brighter future
Dekra IOL’s presence at A-OSH 2024 is themed ‘expanding our roots for a brighter future’. This theme reflects the company’s steady, year-on-year growth trajectory, overcoming obstacles through dedication, hard work and the unwavering support of its local and international executive management.
Expansion of its roots furthermore entails Dekra IOL broadening its footprint and influence, as demonstrated by the company’s recent successful expansion to the busy Limpopo provincial town of Lephalale – while simultaneously securing several key training contracts in the power generation and related sectors in the region.
“Despite challenges, we have persevered with an attitude of resilience and a commitment to excellence,” says Dekra IOL’s Head of Training and Consulting Christopher Mӧrsner.
“Through the hard work of our team, and the support of our management and clients – for which we are humbly grateful – we have been able to deliver on our promises, achieving more than could ever have been imagined when we started only four short years ago. As such, we believe in the concept and practice of expanding our roots – and thereby creating a brighter future for our communities and industry as a whole.”
Largest occupational health and safety event in Africa
A-OSH is the continent’s largest exhibition dedicated to occupational health and safety, aligning perfectly with Dekra IOL’s market offerings and reinforcing its identity as an exceptional training service provider which is dedicated to growing people through skills and occupational training and development.
“Over and above our QCTO-accredited courses and occupational health and safety training, Dekra IOL offers business and operational training with a strongly client-centric approach,” Mӧrsner points out.
As such, he emphasises the importance of a “knowledge bank and…chain of influence,” in which occupational skills development and education provide long-term benefits beyond immediate job placements. Therefore, Dekra IOL’s ‘pay it forward’ approach to training focuses on making a tangible difference – by enhancing employability through adult-based occupational skills development and full qualifications – and thereby making a significant impact in individuals’ lives and to the communities in which they live.
“By improving even just one person’s employability, we create a ripple effect of concentric circles of influence. These so-called ‘circles of influence’ impact many sectors, including the families and communities of those employed, and showcasing Dekra IOL’s commitment to socio-economic sustainability,” he points out.
Safety: so much more than compliance
Mӧrsner adds that health and safety education will lead to a significant organisational cultural shift in how industries and companies approach workplace safety and well-being: “It should not be viewed as a purely compliance-related. Employers need to embrace occupational health and safety proactively, creating a culture of care and responsibility.”
Safety is at the core of Dekra IOL’s offerings, which include a wide range of occupational health and safety training courses such as behaviour-based safety, first aid, working at heights, legal liability, occupational health and safety management and process safety courses.
In addition, Dekra Industrial – the IOL’s parent company in South Africa – offers non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection, aimed at identifying and mitigating risks in a wide range of industry sectors before they become catastrophic.
“Together with DEKRA Industrial, our focus on and commitment to safety is a strong competitive differentiator, particularly in endemically hazardous industries such as the petrochemical or power generation sectors,” Mӧrsner advises.
Vision for the future
DEKRA IOL’s participation at A-OSH2024, featuring extensive engagement with visitors as well as current and potential clients – promoting the company’s innovative occupational health and safety-related training solutions – underscores its passion for making a positive difference, as well as global parent company Dekra’s Vision 2025 of being the ‘global partner for a safe world’.
Furthermore, Dekra IOL’s A-OSH presence this year features well-known Springbok rugby player and sports personality Deon Fourie, whose own triumphs in the face of adversity mirror Dekra IOL’s journey and goals. “Deon’s sporting journey and achievements really embody passion, perseverance and the belief in never giving up until one succeeds, which DEKRA IOL shares and identifies with very strongly. We are therefore really pleased and excited that he is joining us on the stand this week,” Mӧrsner enthuses.
In addition, Dekra IOL will be handing out indigenous Coral (‘Lucky Bean’) trees to visitors, as a symbol of the company’s commitment to continued growth, as well as educational and environmental sustainability.
“This links very effectively to the concept and theme this year of expanding our roots for a brighter future,” he explains.
“Dekra IOL’s dedication to safety, education and making a tangible difference ensures that we are not just another training provider – but a driving force in adult-based educational skills and development, as well as occupational health and safety,” Mӧrsner concludes.
About DEKRA Industrial and DEKRA Institute of Learning
With 99 years in the industry through its global parent company Dekra, Dekra Industrial SA has established a formidable reputation as a leader in inspection services, non-destructive testing (NDT), material testing, laboratory services, Advanced NDT, and asset integrity services, and offers industry training through the Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL).
As part of Dekra, which has a presence in more than 50 countries on five continents, DEKRA Industrial RSA provides safety solutions across a multitude of industries, including power generation, oil and gas, construction, petrochemical, manufacturing, fabrication, pulp and paper, rail, mining, steel industry and foundries, within South Africa and pan-Africa.
DEKRA Industrial SA is a holistic services provider of NDT inspection and corrosion control with rope access and lifting. DEKRA Industrial SA has 51 percent black woman ownership and has achieved a current overall Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status of Level 1.
The company is also RD 0034-compliant – a nuclear safety compliance standard – and is one of the few NDT companies locally to hold the ISO 45001:2018 certification; as well as DNV certification, giving DEKRA Industrial access to many inspection opportunities in the maritime sector. The company also offers comprehensive vendor inspection and expediting services.
The Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL) is a leading adult-based education and occupational skills training provider, and a division of Dekra Industrial RSA, which focuses on making a tangible difference – by enhancing employability through adult-based occupational skills development and full qualifications.
As such, Dekra IOL is QCTO-accredited and delivers online learning across all industries, in both public and private sectors, with training pitched to all levels of competency, focusing on HSE, ISO and continuing professional development (CPD)-aligned courses. Classroom-based and distance learning are also available. Dekra Industrial and Dekra IOL strive to be recognised as the ‘heroes of safety’.
