EFF statement on Parliament lack of compliance with safety, health and environmental regulations
3 January 2022
The EFF has gained access to Safety, Health and Environment Audit of Parliament, and Site/Offices Inspections and assessment reports. The audit and reports show complete disregard for safety, health and environment regulations, and the fire that wrecked Parliament build could have been avoided.
The Safety, Health and Environment Audit of Parliament found deficiencies in all the policies and or procedures that remain as drafts, including safety, health and environment management system that is not in place. The audit clearly stated that systems required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations were not fully implemented and maintained. The Occupational Safety and Health policy is not approved and implemented. Amongst the many findings, the report identified as high risk are the following:
Lack of systemic and documented process for tracking compliance with the applicable or maintained.
Lack of procedures for maintaining a safe working environment.
Roles, responsibilities, and authorities were not adequately defined, documented, and assigned, as there were no procedures.
Hazards and risks of new projects are not considered to close gaps.
Quantifiable OHS objectives were not developed and documented.
Lack of policy or procedure to deal with emergency preparedness and response.
Lack of policy and procedures to address accidents, incidents, and non-compliance.
Lack of records in place for actions that are captured on inspections.
The Parliament fire incident restoration team of the first fire incident in 2018 also pointed out that the fire could have been prevented had Parliament complied with the audit, regulations and basic management of safety, health, and environment. The 2016 fire that damaged electrical, equipment, and offices happened because no smoke detectors and fire extinguishers cylinders were moved. In addition, no water reticulations were found on fire hose reels and fire hydrants at the entire build of Old Assembly.
The EFF is not shocked about the lack of compliance with basic safety, health, and environment regulations. Parliament management operates on an ad hoc basis. It has failed to put even essential systems in place to ensure that Parliament buildings are in conducive conditions proper use by Members of Parliament and political party support. It is not only the New Assembly Wing and Old Assembly that are not compliant with safety, health, and environment regulations but all buildings, including buildings that accommodate Members of Parliament in parliamentary villages.
It is not true that the 2018 audit and fire assessment report recommendations were implemented. Therefore, any suggestions that the Department of Public Works and management of Parliament implement any recommendations from the SHE Audit and the Parliament Fire Incident Restoration Team will be misleading.
The EFF maintains that the fire serve as an opportunity to relocate Parliament to Gauteng permanently. Whatever money is going to be allocated in the immediate should be dedicated to relocating Parliament to Tshwane, where the Union Buildings reside, to relieve the burden of government transport and accommodation costs. But also, a move to Tshwane will allow us to do away with the Anglo-Boer War pact that was meant to share resources at the time of the establishment of the Union of South Africa, at the exclusion of Africans.
Issued by Vuyani Pambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 11 January 2022
