The Mercury reports that a probe into the death of two workers at an uMhlanga site has sparked concerns about the safety of construction workers in the industry.  

The workers died in an accident involving a crane at the R1.3billion uMhlanga Arch construction site last month.  Speaking generally about safety in the industry, trade unions lambasted subcontractors who allegedly flout health and safety regulations on building sites controlled by major construction firms.  They said this compromised worker safety and led to accidents.  Building Construction and Allied Workers Union (Bcawu) general secretary Narius Moloto said that the union was concerned about a tendency, particularly in KwaZulu- Natal, where subcontractors were allegedly “taking short cuts and compromising the health and safety” of workers.  National Union of Mineworkers KZN secretary Mzi Zakwe said the problem lay with sub-contractors who attempted to cut costs on site.  “Treatment of subcontractors is not the same as the treatment of permanent workers. Subcontractors breach safety rules,” he alleged.  In the January incident, the workers were apparently killed when something went wrong with a crane that dropped bricks on them from a great height.  The site was closed for a period after the incident, but construction was under way again on Wednesday.  Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) officials are still conducting investigations on site.  

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lyse Comins at The Mercury

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page