The construction sector remains one of South Africa's most dangerous workplaces, with the highest number of occupational fatalities and injuries, but a series of Labour Department's nationwide blitz inspections a fortnight ago suggest the trend is still far from improving with disregard of occupational health and safety standards being a glaring factor.
During the first quarter of 2009 alone 23 fatalities and hundreds of injuries were recorded, while inspectors and paraplegics continue to suffer high levels of trauma due to the horrific injuries they witness on a daily basis.
Faulty scaffoldings, long proven as the primary cause for most death plunges – were once again an epitome of law incompliance at inspections led by the Department's Acting Director-General Sam Morotoba in the Pretoria area.
Prohibitions had to be ordered at various operations as workers were found to be totally exposed to hazardous situations, including working without protective clothing.
The living quarters of the workers were found to be of sub-human standards at one site, with 23 employees having to share space at a small tool-shed, while in another, they use pieces of cut board to sleep on. The employer defended himself by claiming that employees were living there against numerous warnings to refrain from doing so as their "homes" were only meant for tools.
High levels of incompliance with both the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act were to prove a common factor as nearly half of the more than 1 000 workplaces visited in all provinces over a five day swoop found to be transgressing in one way or the other.
In the Free State, where operations had to be halted at 18 of the 68 incompliant workplaces out of the 217 visited, inspectors not only found some of the employers having not even notified the Department of the construction work taking place, but incompetent people were appointed to erect and qualify scaffolds in the absence of qualified safety supervisors.
A similar situation was recorded in the Western Cape where only 65 construction sites could be visited due to wet weather and a national strike that was taking place in the industry at the time. Inspectors found that first aid material and qualified officers were an unheard of concept to some employers.
In Gauteng South (Johannesburg and Vaal area) a work shut-down had to be ordered at a water operation in Cosmo City when two employees fainted in the pipelines they were working on. Preliminary inspections found that the oxygen deficiency inside the pipe was not measured. Two employees fainted in the pipelines trying to repair the internal joints for the new 600 mm main steal pipe which was recently installed.
Commenting on the latest findings, Morotoba said sub-contracting at the construction industry remained the main source of law incompliance and unnecessary fatalities, while employees themselves seemed totally uncaring for their own safety.
"This means that as the department we need to intensify our inspections and tighten law enforcement even more than we are currently doing," he said.
Inspections of different sectors are schedule to continue throughout the year.
Enquiries:
Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 2195
Issued by: Department of Labour
24 July 2009
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za)
