Cheetah Cement ordered to stop night operations due to safety concerns
Whale Rock Cement (Cheetah Cement) has been instructed to stop carrying out operational activities at the mining area at night, between 18h00-06h00, as well as to stop operating a certain forklift, the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation said in a statement on Tuesday.
The order came into effect from 19 August 2022 until such a time that sufficient light is installed and the forklift is serviced to the satisfaction of a designated Labour Inspector.
This order is barely issued three months after Whale Rock Cement was ordered by this Ministry to cease its operations in some areas of its Mine due to non-compliance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards on 10 May.
“This ultimatum was later withdrawn by the Ministry on 23 May 2022 after the Ministry conducted follow-up inspections and was satisfied with the level of compliance as well as arrangements that were put in place,” the statement said.
Since the order to resume its operation in May 2022, the ministry has been conducting follow-up inspections to ensure continued compliance with the OSH Standards at the Mine. The Ministry however identified the afore-mentioned shortcomings that lead to the current order. During this period, all affected employers are entitled to full remuneration.
“The issue of occupational safety and health is non-negotiable. Non-compliance with the provisions of OSH put workers at risk, resulting in non-reversible and mostly regrettable consequences which sometimes may even lead to injuries and worse of all fatalities. Employers are once again reminded that it remains their legal duty to ensure that their workplaces are safe at all times,” the statement concluded.
