COVID - 19 Health & Safety Compliant?
COVID - 19 Health & safety compliant?
With the current business challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, government has now instructed the Department of Employment and Labour to designate labour inspectors to visit organisations throughout the country. The main focus of these inspections will be to ascertain the existing level of compliance with regards to the Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as the various Health and Safety Regulations governing COVID-19 within the workplace.
The objective is to ensure the protection of employees and third parties against being exposed to the virus as well as to implement preventative measures to mitigate the further spread throughout organisations and immediate community. Under lock-down Level 4, there are restrictions to keep workers safe, limit interaction with customers, and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The legislation governing workplaces in relation to COVID – 19 is the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993, as amended, and requires the employer to provide and maintain as far as is reasonably practicable a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of employees. Businesses must self-assess their ability to meet Health and Safety Regulations governing COVID-19 within the workplace and ensure they operate safely, just as they would normally, to meet their duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
If you are a business owner or manager of a business, you need to have a COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan in place to manage how you and your staff are going to work safely and without risk in a COVID-19 environment. You need to work closely with professionals and staff in developing your plan and it must be shared with all staff. grok provides a COVID-19 Workplace Readiness Health and Safety KIT and guidance to all existing and prospective clients.
To ensure that you are compliant with the Department of Employment and Labour Regulations and prevent the spread of the virus, it is essential that you document and record all attempts in line with the regulations in the forms of registers, risk assessments, policies and safe work procedures in case you get a Department of Labour inspection.
What does COVID-19 Workplace Compliance Kit include:
1. COVID-19 Policy
2. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Policy
3. Testing / Screening of Employees for COVID-19 Policy
4. Working from Home Policy
5. Working from Home Risk Assessment
6. Travelling to and from Work using Public Transport Risk Assessment
7. Workplace Risk Assessment
8. Workplace Readiness after lock-down requirements
9. All control measures and guidelines
10. Induction booklet for all staff returning to work
11. Safety talks
12. Awareness posters
13. Daily Mandatory Checklist
It can be difficult to navigate a complex and rapidly-changing situation such as the current
COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key challenges for business will be to focus on your core business while still complying with new legislations and to operative your business in way that does affect the health and Safety of your employees and the community. This is a unique situation that continues to change rapidly. We recognise that it raises a number of questions and concerns for people, especially relating to employment. The links below provide up-to-date guidance on COVID-19 employment matters.
Should you require assistance in terms of the above or any other Health & Safety issues, you are more than welcome to contact our experts at info@grokon.biz or call me directly on 078 5565480
