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Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002)

Notices

Consolidated Directions on Occupational Health and Safety measures in certain workplaces

7. Sanitisers, disinfectants and washing of hands

 

(1) For the purposes of this direction—
(a) a hand sanitiser must be one that has at least 70% alcohol content and is in accordance with the recommendations of the Department of Health21;
(b) a surface disinfectant must be in accordance with the recommendations of the Department of Health22.

 

(2) Every employer must, free of charge, ensure that—
(a) there are sufficient quantities of hand sanitizer based on the number of workers or other persons who access the workplace at the entrance of, and in, the workplace which the workers or other persons are required to use; and
(b) every employee who works away from the workplace, other than at home, must be provided with an adequate supply of hand sanitiser.

 

(3) If a worker interacts with the public, the employer must provide the worker with sufficient supplies of hand sanitiser at that worker's workstation for both the worker and the person with whom the worker is interacting.

 

(4) Every employer must take measures to ensure that—
(a) all work surfaces and equipment are disinfected before work begins, regularly during the working period and after work ends;
(b) all areas such as lavatories, common areas, door handles, shared electronic equipment are regularly cleaned and disinfected; and
(c) disable biometric systems or make them COVID-19-proof.

 

(5) The employer must ensure that—
(a) there are adequate facilities for the washing of hands with soap and clean water;
(b) only paper towels are provided to dry hands after washing - the use of fabric toweling is prohibited;
(c) the workers are required to wash their hands and sanitise their hands regularly while at work;
(d) the workers interacting with the public are instructed to sanitise their hands between each interaction with a member of the public; and
(e) surfaces that workers and members of the public come into contact with are routinely cleaned and disinfected.

 

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21 See paragraph 6 of the National Department of Health: Practical Manual for Implementation of the National Infection Prevention and Control Strategic Framework, March 2020 (pp11-20)-see the link in Annexure A

22 National Institute for Occupational Health: Cleaning and Decontamination of Workplaces in the Context of COVID-19 (10 June 2020)-see Annexure A.