2 April 2007
In a joint operation with police and fire department personnel, Labour
inspectors switched their focus to the entertainment industry at the weekend,
swooping on two famous Durban night clubs and discovered several workplace
health and safety law contraventions.
The Saturday night blitz inspections at the two Chatsworth nightclubs south
of the city, formed part of the inspectorate's resolve to intensify its drive
for worker welfare in the sector, particularly ahead of the Easter weekend. The
inspectors issued employers at the Blue Dolphin and Smyths Disco Tech
respectively with non-compliance notices for infringements ranging from
improper electrical and fire escape installations to unacceptable sound level
exposure.
At Smyths Disco Tech, the probability of a fire was found to be high, not
only due to restricted escape passage and poor ventilation but lack of a
compliance certificate as well. The employer was ordered to provide workers for
baseline audio metric testing and fined R2 500 by the fire department. Similar
contraventions were found at the Blue Dolphin and both companies were given
orders to comply within 30 days or face prosecution.
Enquiries:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
Issued by: Department of Labour
2 April 2007
