OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday
THE Labour Department is trying to stem allegations of negligence after it emerged that an inspector had apparently been alerted to conditions at the factory in Lenasia where 11 workers burnt to death last Friday.
Labour Department director-general Rams Ramashia has reacted “with alarm” over the allegations that an inspector had received complaints over dangerous working conditions at the Esschem floor polish factory in Lenasia.
Margaret Washington, a worker who escaped the fire death, earlier told the Beeld newspaper of having sustained burns at the factory earlier this year and lodging a complaint with the department.
Katherine Jabu, a former employee who had been dismissed, also said she had lodged a complaint with the labour department in August against the factory management and owner.
Their complaints included being locked up with gas bottles for up to 16 hours, fire extinguishers not being in working order, unisex change-rooms, lack of ventilation and no emergency alarm system.
Former occupational health safety inspector Phillip Collier alleged that the inspector had returned from Lenasia without following up the complaint, as he was unable to locate the factory during his visit.
Collier said it would be unfair to pin the blame on the inspector who went out as he was a trainee inspector and management should have followed up, and a senior inspector should have been entrusted with the case.
He said he had access to computer records proving that three months ago the two workers sent written complaints about their working conditions.
Forensic experts have since found that a container of chemicals, which by law should have been kept outside the building, may have caused the fire.
Collier said the tragedy was directly related to what was happening in the department.
He resigned in July and is one of 97 inspectors to have lodged a grievance against the department for the way in which occupational health and safety inspectors have been lumped together with other general inspectors.
“We believe occupational health and safety demands more qualified inspectors to do the job,” Collier said.
He said since August last year, 20 qualified inspectors had resigned, reducing the contingent to under 100.
Factory owner Suleman Ebrahim Lachporia, 43, and manager Nezahuddin Ahmod, 30, have provisionally been charged with culpable homicide.