With the arrival of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the 15th of March 2020 and provided clear guidelines for the country’s response to the viral outbreak. Decisive action has been taken by the State to curb the spread of the virus.
At this time, employers need to put all necessary preventative measures in place in order for the working environment to remain a safe place for employees, as envisaged by the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 (OHSA). While employees are encouraged to work from home if possible, this is not practicable in many industries due to obvious operational requirements.
In order to ensure that health and safety in the workplace are prioritised at this time, we draw your attention to the legal obligations that employers have to both their employees and third parties, as well as the obligations that employees, in turn, have to their employer and third parties.
Read the rest of our letter here.
If you have any questions about the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 or any other Labour or Land issues, contact McCarthy & Associates Attorneys on (033) 266 6170 or ad***@ma****.za.