Working in a pandemic: What is a safe and healthy workplace?
9 April 2020
An employer which has been issued a permit as a provider of essential goods or services is legally entitled to continue operations during the National Shutdown Period.
This is in terms of the recently released and constantly updated regulations, which were initially published on 25 March 2020 by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, as regulations to the Disaster Management Act, and which were amended for the fourth time on 2 April 2020.
These regulations set out, in section 11A and Annexure B (Categorisation of Essential Good and Services during Lockdown, Regulation 11A), the types of services and goods regarded as 'essential' (Essential Services Regulations).
However, as reported in the media, a number of businesses which continue to operate are facing the scrutiny of enforcement officers, not only in regard to whether they have the correct legal authorisation to continue to operate, but also whether the workplace is safe for its employees.