Workplace PPE shock: Businesses endangering lives

The non-compliance of Covid-19 regulations and the lack of basic PPE (personal protective equipment) in the workplace are one of the reasons the infection rate skyrocketed.

A Pretoria man, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his wife’s job, said it is unfair that the state forces the private sector to comply with Covid protocols but neglects to take care of their staff.

“There are no safety measures in place at the local courts, they don’t even have PPE, and every week there is a new Covid case reported at her work,” he said.

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He said she had to take her own sanitiser to work. The husband said he fears she might contract the virus because she is not properly protected by the state.

“This is the same state that forced the private sector to enforce the measures but fails to provide themselves,” he said.

He said he felt like her life, his life, their child’s life and their other immediate families’ lives are at risk due to the negligence.

Grace Britz from Naboomspruit said she makes use of a lot of public transport such as Bolt, Uber, Gautrain and buses and has noticed a lack of people following regulations.

“Employees only put their mask up when they see you wearing it, most don’t check that you sanitise anymore,” Britz said.

A mother of two, who works at a legal firm in Johannesburg, said her employer had the office fogged a week after more than half of the staff tested positive for the virus.

“After three people tested positive, the boss asked us to classify if we were feeling ill and those had to get tested. The others were told to go back to work,” she said.

The Democratic Alliance Gauteng shadow MEC for health, Jack Bloom, said he has heard lots of similar stories.

“I receive lots of complaints of general non-compliance where people don’t wear masks,” he said.

Bloom said it seems that for many people the message was not getting through about the virus.

marizkac@citizen.co.za