The Department of Economic Development & Tourism (DEDAT) at the Western Cape Government, together with a number of partner organizations has been running a Covid-19 business workplace safety Programme through the COVID-19 crisis. Part of this has involved managing a non-compliance complains line, which has now dealt with just over 4 000 complaints.
In order to further strengthen workplace compliance to the Covid-19 safety regulations, we have secured the services of professional occupational health & safety (OHS) support (in the form of guidance, good practice and knowledge sharing) until mid-March 2021. We would like to offer this support to the Western Cape businesses at no cost (with DEDAT covering the costs of the project), as we know that everyone is incredibly resource stretched.
Although many businesses may now understand the workplace safety requirements, there are many that are likely struggling or have viewed this as a sprint and are perhaps not prepared for the long haul. The support is therefore aimed at helping businesses to undertake Covid-19 risk assessments, develop risk mitigation plans, ensure adherence to the Department of Employment & Labor workplace safety regulations and relevant sector specific Covid-19 workplace safety requirements and implement any other required interventions to enable them to manage potential further Covid-19 waves and potential future pandemics.
The intent is to provide support directly to approximately 600 Western Cape businesses and through group sessions with individual follow ups to 200 Western Cape businesses.
We would like you as a stakeholder to assist in taking up this offer of free support in one of the following ways:
Organize/ set up group sessions that businesses then attend (via an online platform) that the service provider will then initially engage with the businesses through, with individual follow up support provided afterwards as needed. Business forum officials can also attend, but they won’t count towards the businesses supported targets.
Identify businesses (or groups of businesses) in your forum or region that may need the support.
The following criteria may help you to identify businesses for the above, but you are welcome to nominate any that you feel would benefit:
repeat non-compliance,
serious complaints raised,
potential super spreader businesses or events,
poor management of infected employees,
businesses who appear to be struggling with the regulations;
those where the impact of infections would be high;
those where the impact of complaints received could be high; and
those where there may be crowds etc.
You may choose to pass the details of the service provider directly to the businesses in your forum for them to take up the offer or pass the business contact details to the service provider.
Businesses that are in need of this support may contact the service provider appointed by us (Afro Centric Fast Pulse Employee Benefit Solutions) at Covid19.ohas@afrocentric-ics.com to express interest in the professional occupational health & safety support that is available.
You are also asked to email alexei.allie@westerncape.gov.za - should you identify any sectors or sub sectors that you feel need further guidelines or best practice guides.
Please note the tight timeline of mid-March 2021 – i.e. you will need to move very quickly to take up this support.
Kind regards
Team SAOGA