Non-compliance in Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga is among the provinces that have the highest Covid-19 non-compliance levels in the workplace, according to the national Department of Employment and Labour.
Insp Gen Aggy Moiloa said, “The highest non-compliance levels are in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Northern Cape at 66, 64 and 59 per cent respectively.” According to the department the lack of workplace behaviour change drives Covid-19 infections at work.
“The flouting of compliance protocols is therefore not a victimless or nonconsequential cutting of corners. It has real tragic results of families deprived of breadwinners and some facing dire situations as a result,” she said.
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“The inspections were conducted; 4 674 inspections in the public sector and 21 995 in the private sector. The overall compliance rate for the period stood at a constant 56 per cent since April 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021,” Moiloa said.
She said out of a total of 26 669 inspections carried out in both the public and private sector, only 57 per cent complied with safety protocols. “In total, 11 811 workplaces were found to be non-compliant and 14 858 were compliant.“
“These figures show that workers in the public sector stand a greater chance of either contracting the virus and/or dying from it during the second and third waves. The sad part of it is that history in this short timespan will repeat itself. About eleven months into the lockdown and despite advocacy work by the Inspection and Enforcement Services, tragically little or no movement has been made to improve occupational health and safety in both the public and private sectors,” said Moiloa.
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The highest levels of compliance are in the Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Free State at 86, 71 and 57 per cent respectively. In the private sector, figures show the following trends: the wholesale and retail sector has the highest percentage of inspections, claiming 41 per cent.
The sector has a compliance rate of 55 per cent. At least 15 per cent of all inspections done in the private sector were done in construction.
“Construction achieved a 76 per cent compliance rate, a percentage’s drop over the previous month. Manufacturing is at 49 per cent rate of compliance. The percentage of follow-up inspections of non-compliance is only 6,5 per cent.
In the public sector, the level of compliance stood at only 40 per cent with only 1 889 workplaces complying out of the 4 674 inspected.” Vuyo Mafata, the commissioner of the compensation fund, urged employers to ensure that all protocols are followed and employees to play a proactive role and whistle-blow on unsafe working places.
