CREATE was formed in late 2003 with the objective of providing South Africa with construction industry related consulting, research, and training, primarily in the areas of ergonomics, health and safety (H&S), occupational health (OH), primary health promotion (PHP), HIV and AIDS, health and wellbeing, workability, and respect for people.

However, other areas include the environment, image, performance, productivity, quality, and schedule.

Consulting

CREATE’s focus is on the provision of a Construction H&S agent (CHSA) service. However, other forms of consulting include ergonomics surveys.

Research

The primary focus in terms of research is surveying of course, programme, seminar, and workshop delegates to determine current challenges, issues, perceptions, and practices. The findings of such research are then incorporated in future training manuals.

However, CREATE is capacitated and experienced in terms of contract research, notable projects including the research that lead to the publication of the Construction Industry Development Board’s (cidb) reports Construction Health & Safety Status & Recommendations and CONSTRUCTION QUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA: A client perspective.

Training

CREATE has developed a range of courses, programmes, seminars, and workshops, which have been presented since late 2003.

Notable training includes the delivery of the first five-day fifty-three module Client Appointed H&S Agent programme in  June / July 2005, and the first four-day thirty-one module Certificate Programme in Construction H&S in November 2003. This programme was also presented in, among other, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in January 2005 to Tanzanian built environment professionals under the auspices of the International Labour Office (ILO). 

Further, notable training includes nine 1.5-Day eight-module South African Women in Construction (SAWiC) Sustainable Construction Seminars and Workshops in 2004, and two days of Occupational Health and Safety Construction Training to Department of Labour Inspectors in Kempton Park, 17-18 April 2013.

Human capital

CREATE is unique in that the Principal (Prof John Smallwood) and Associate (Dr Claire Deacon) are qualified and experienced industry professionals and construction H&S consultants