Workplace Health & Safety during SA lockdown Stage 4

The exiting of lockdown level 5, and the entering of lockdown level 4 is less than 48 hours away and Government has yet to publish the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations and requirements applicable to employers who will be commencing operations on 1 May.

There may well be insufficient time available for these employers to adequately prepare for the resumption of operations on Friday. The National Employers Association of South Africa (NEASA) has, however, compiled a list of minimum requirements that they believe employers will have to comply with from 1 May.

It is strongly recommended that a dedicated manager be identified to monitor and enforce compliance with the businesses' health and safety measures during these Covid-19 times.

The following requirements will, according to current information, be compulsory in every Level 4 workplace:

Personal hygiene policy

• All employees will be required to regularly wash their hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds

• No handshakes or other physical contact should be allowed between employees, or employees and visitors/clients

• Employees will be expected to sanitise their hands regularly with alcohol-based hand sanitiser, with an alcohol content of at least 70%, after contact with any person or after contact with frequently touched surfaces

• Employees must cough into the fold of their elbow or into a tissue which must be discarded in a waste bin afterwards, and then wash their hands immediately afterwards as set out above

• Employees must avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth

Personal protective equipment (PPE) policy

The employer will be compelled to introduce a COVID-19 PPE policy in respect of all employees and visitors to the workplace and to provide PPE, as per the still to be determined regulations.

In the interim, the following PPE measures are proposed:

• The issuing of masks to all employees and all employees must wear these masks

• The employer may not allow any visitor to enter the workplace without the proper PPE as per the regulations and/or the employers’ policy

• The employer should inform all visitors that they are to provide their own PPE in order to enter the workplace, alternatively, issue all visitors with the required PPE

• The employer should train employees on the correct use, necessary hygiene practices and proper disposal of PPE in order to avoid cross-contamination from PPE to the user’s hands or clothes

• Supervisors should monitor and enforce wearing, sanitising and disposal of the appropriate PPE

• The employer should perform non-invasive temperature testing of all employees and visitors upon entering the premises

Social distancing measures

It is widely expected that the regulations will enforce social distancing measures in the workplace, as social distancing is one of the main strategies in preventing the spread of the virus.

Employers will likely be expected to implement the following measures:

• Employees must practice social distancing of at least 1.5 meters away from any other person in all circumstances

• The employer should introduce staggered tea and lunch breaks to avoid a gathering of people, and should also enforce social distancing protocols during these breaks

• The employer should adopt and enforce a policy to avoid face to face meetings and, where possible, conduct meetings via electronic platforms (such as Skype, Zoom or Microsoft Teams)

• The employer should, where possible, adopt a work from home policy, particularly in respect of vulnerable employees and those employees over the age of 60

• The use of paper towels on door handles, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces should be enforced

• The employer should implement measures for the regular cleaning of offices and commonly touched areas

• The employer should introduce rules confining employees to their workstation, as far as practically possible

Business travel policy

The employer must enforce a strict ‘no travel for business purposes policy’, subject to the exceptions as per the regulations, i.e. cargo that may be moved across provincial borders.

Policies and procedures to be implemented in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace:

• The employer must develop a policy and protocol which is to be implemented when a case of COVID-19 infection has been detected in the workplace. It is not yet clear what this protocol will contain as the Government has not yet provided guidance on this issue.

• The employer should train employees on their responsibilities and the relevant procedures in terms of these health and safety protocols

• Employers should utilise a checklist to ensure compliance with all OHS requirements

Be safe, be healthy and remain optimistic. We will get through this, together.

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Note: This article was originally published on 29 April 2020.

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Website: dynamixhrsolutions.com

Email: kevin@dynamixhrsolutions.com

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