Government Printing Works slated for not addressing health and safety concerns

The Government Printing Works' (GPW's) head office was issued with prohibition notices due to unsafe working conditions and it is unclear if the printing of matric exam papers would be affected.

The Department of Employment and Labour issued the notices on a building on Bosman Street in Tshwane which includes facilities for printing national senior certificate examination question papers, visas, birth certificates, Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) notices and government gazettes, among other key state documents, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

According to the prohibition notices, poor ventilation and the presence of chemicals in the litho area threaten or is likely to threaten the health and safety of employees. The prohibition will be in place until an indoor air quality report conducted by an authorised inspection authority deems the area fit for occupation.

"I will consider revoking or amending this prohibition notice only after arrangements to my satisfaction have been made to dispose of or substantially reduce the threat which gave rise to the imposition of this prohibition," the department's inspection and enforcement services (IES) explained, adding that even an appeal will not suspend the prohibition notice.

In the second prohibition notice, the IES also stopped the use of all emergency steel staircases due to rust and being unsafe for usage. It ordered that new staircases be erected as suggested or recommended by a civil/structural assessment report.

The third prohibition notice stops the use of the basement, binding area and printing room, which were highlighted as critical and affected by water ingress and flooding and posing significant risk from exposed electrical cables or wiring.

The GPW was given 60 days to comply with the IES's enforcement notice in February this year and it has long lapsed but the entity still has not complied. In terms of the OHSA, the GPW is responsible for the safety, safe use and maintenance of electrical installations and requires a valid certificate of compliance of electrical installation accompanied by a test report in the format approved by the chief inspector.

Another requirement is that the GPW must ensure that the workplace is ventilated either by natural or mechanical means in such a way that the air breathed by employees does not endanger their safety and the time weighted average concentration of carbon dioxide does not exceed specified limits.

The prescribed limit exposure limits for airborne substances must not be exceeded and the concentration of any explosives or flammable gas, vapour or dust does not exceed the lower limit of gas, vapour or dust, the IES stated.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) said among its major gripes were leaking roofs, electrical defects, unsafe staircases and other structural defects.

"(The) GPW failed to address the defects identified and continued to put workers in the manufacturing and engineering section in danger. The section is responsible for production of visas, Aarto papers, birth certificates, question papers and other relevant printed papers," the union explained.

The PSA expressed its happiness that the 122 employees who occupied the building were evacuated immediately and demanded an alternative safe working environment.

Meanwhile, it has since emerged that the building is over 50 years old and the GPW is moving to a new building as its staff are preparing to vacate the facility.

But the PSA said it was not aware of the relocation as the GPW has been telling the union it is busy with procurement processes since April.

Umalusi chief executive Dr. Mafu Rakometsi said he was unaware of the prohibition notices.

"As I stand here, I'm not sure how many papers are printed at GPW. Even for that question to be answered, it would be GPW who qualifies to answer it and say in the light of you having these contracts with the provincial education departments and you having been condemned (issued with prohibition notices), what are the mitigating measures? What are you going to do? Umalusi will not be able to answer that," he said.

Rakometsi continued: "What we will be checking is whether the papers were printed at the right place, at a safe place and where there are compromises, we are going to be pointing at them and saying you are not supposed to be printing here".

He said Umalusi could not make a public pronouncement on what it told departments and their weaknesses because then it would be compromising its own quality assurance process and the examinations.

Rakometsi said he was hearing about the compliance notices for the first time and promised that Umalusi will be monitoring the situation. 

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za