The head office of the Department of Home Affairs Department in Pretoria where workers are complaining about unsafe working conditions.
Image: File
More national government department buildings are failing to comply with occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation in the capital city for failing to meet the required standards.
This time, a part of the Department of Home Affairs head office, Hallmark Building, housing a group of public servants in the permitting section (immigration services) has been declared hazardous and unhealthy.
The area was previously used as an auditorium which was used as a boardroom and in which departmental events such as memorial services were held but later converted to workstations.
According to the Public Servants Association (PSA), the union previously reported to its members that it lodged a formal complaint with the department regarding the hazardous and unhealthy conditions at the auditorium situated on the building’s ground floor.
The union’s complaint raised concerns that the office space in the auditorium lacked ventilation and employees were suffocating whenever it was extremely hot. In addition, the office did not have windows and the air conditioning was malfunctioning.
”Employees could no longer cope with the unbearable conditions at that office space owing to the lack of fresh air. In the winter season, the office space was extremely cold,” the PSA complained.
The matter was reported to the Department of Employment and Labour for non-compliance with OHS legislation and threatened to withdraw its members from working in the space should the Department of Home Affairs continue to ignore the genuine concerns raised.
However, last week, the Home Affairs Department succumbed to the pressure exerted by the union and finally agreed to move the employees to new office space on the 17th floor, a decision confirmed by the head office consultative forum at a meeting held on March 13, according to the PSA.
The relocation of the employees is expected to take effect from April 1.
Towards the end of last month, the Department of Defence was stopped from moving hundreds of employees in the infantry and army support formations from the Peterson Bothongo Building to the Besters Building by North Gauteng High Court acting Judge Julian Yende.
The Besters Building was damaged by fire in 2013 and repairs are yet to be completed yet the department instructed its employees to relocate within a few days in February.
The SA National Defence Union successfully interdicted the relocation, with acting Judge Yende setting aside the instruction after the building was declared non-compliant with OHS standards in January.
The move from Peterson Bothongo to Besters was halted but the department indicated that the part of the Besters Building that was not burnt down is being renovated for future use.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za
