Cape Times reports that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has 60 days to comply with a Department of Employment & Labour (DEL) notice issued after serious health hazards, flagged by the Public Servants Association (PSA), forced the shutdown of the DHA’s Nyanga office.
The office was closed on Tuesday after an inspection uncovered the unsafe conditions. Following the inspection, a direction notice was served on the DHA for contravening health and safety regulations. The notice requires the DHA to submit a valid Electrical Certificate of Compliance for all repairs and installations, and to conduct an Ergonomics Risk Assessment before commencing any work that could expose employees to ergonomic hazards.
Alongside this, a prohibition notice was issued preventing the reopening of the Nyanga office until several urgent safety measures were addressed. These include the immediate repair of the leaking roof to reduce fire and electrical risks and the replacement of sagging ceilings to prevent potential collapse and structural damage. The DHA must also unblock all emergency exits, as currently only one door is used for both entry and exit, posing a serious evacuation risk. In addition, clean, potable drinking water must be provided for staff and the public as the current JOJO tank was found to be inadequate and had not been serviced for more than a year. The DHA was also ordered to repair and properly secure all exposed electrical wiring to eliminate the risk of electrocution.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicola Daniels at Cape Times
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