Oudtshoorn, 11 September 2020 – Access to the Oudtshoorn Municipality’s main building in Voortrekker Road, including the New Council Building, has been temporarily suspended with immediate effect, to ensure implementation of health and safety measures as well as COVID19 protocols.
This comes after a visit by the Department of Labour’s inspectors yesterday to ascertain adherence to COVID19 regulations and health and safety in the workplace in the Municipality.
Even though the Municipality has developed the Back to Work Readiness Plan and the COVID19 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Standing Operating Procedures, the inspectors detected issues relating to contravention of access control and other safety measures that could improve.
Furthermore, the inspectors reviewed Municipal COVID19 Occupational Health and Safety risk assessment and made some recommendations for it to be reviewed and improved.
It is for the above reasons that the Department of Labour has temporarily suspended the operations and access to the main building of the Oudtshoorn Municipality until these issues have been resolved.
“We welcome the visit and recommendations of the Department of Labour,” said the acting municipal manager, Mr. Gerald de Jager. “This can only create prospect for a much safer environment in our Municipality and adequate compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as COVID19 protocols,” de Jager added.
“We will take full advantage of this opportunity to ensure that safety of officials and the public is intensified, not only in the main building but in all our buildings,” he added.
The Municipality has been given Seven days to ensure that the identified compliance issues are addressed.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Traffic Department which was visited yesterday has complied with OHS and COVID19 regulations and will remain in operation.
“Service delivery will continue as normal and essential services will be in full operation,” de Jager concluded.