As South Africa eases its way back into a more active economy after 35 days in Level Five lockdown, employers are under pressure to adhere to strict Occupational Health and Safety regulations in the workplace. hey are being asked to adopt a Working from Home policy wherever possible.
They must safeguard the safety of their workforce with the use of face masks and the implementation of other safety measures, such as regular risk assessments in the workplace. MAKROSAFE has developed a set of Covid-19 protocols in line with the OHS Act 85 of 1993 to guide employers on the implementation of the new measures that must be put into place. These measures will help prevent losses in productivity and health threats that may exist in the workplace.Before the first batch of the economy’s workforce return to their places of employment on 1st May 2020, each sector will have to adhere to a strict set of new conditions.
Vulnerable employees, such as people over 60 years of age, pregnant women and those with disabilities, must be clearly identified.Employees must be screened before entering the workplace.All work surfaces and shared equipment must be sanitised.Monitoring systems must be adopted to identify employee infections and to comply with safety protocols.
Employers must introduce steps to mitigate or eliminate existing and potential hazards. MAKROSAFE has updated its risk assessment protocols in terms of the threats posed by Covid-19. Taking into consideration the hazards posed by the possible outbreak of the coronavirus in the workplace, it has introduced a combination of new control measures. One of these is the inclusion of the stricter use of Personal Protective Equipment such as goggles, gloves and face masks.