An Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) inspector in Giyani, Limpopo Province, has partially closed a school following a reactive inspection last week.
The Matsambu Primary School in Nkuri Village faced an impromptu inspection following a tip-off from the Basic Conditions of Employment Inspectors during a planned inspection at the school.
According to a statement released by the Department of Labour, they notified the OHS inspector to visit the school as they were “horrified” about the condition of the building where learning and teaching was taking place.
The school was found not to be compliant with the OHS Act 85 of 1993 as amended - which specifies that if the state of the building threatens or threatens the health and/or safety of persons, then the building should be prohibited with immediate effect from being occupied or continued used in terms of section 30 of the above Act.
The inspector prohibited parts of the school based on the following:
Library Building
The library building, which is used to store old unused books and tools, was also used as an office or rest area for the student assistants.
The inspectors found the electricity in the building was not working and it was dark in the room while some of the shelves used to store the books were unstable and not in a good condition. The inspectors found they were at risk of falling at any given time.
Even though there were a lot of books and tools stored in the building, with a high risk of fire, there was no provision of fire extinguishers.
The inspectors also found the building could be a very good hiding spot for snakes as there were a lot of items stored in it and the housekeeping was not good.
The school grounds had long grass that could attract snakes, which could easily hide in the building since the door was also not working.
The building was prohibited from being used.
The Old School Buildings, also known as Ma-2 room block and hall block, had the old school blocks that were constructed when the school was opened.
These two old buildings were used as classrooms, a school hall, and a storeroom.
The electricity in the building did not work and there were exposed electricity wires from the ceiling and walls. Some of the walls of the building were cracked and many windows were removed and broken.
Both buildings did not have fire extinguishers or any means of fire protection and most of the classrooms did not have doors and windows and students were exposed to the weather elements when using them.
The floors, walls, and roof were all not in a good condition.
The school had two separate toilet buildings for male students and female students, however many of the urinals were broken and missing. Most of the toilet seats were damaged and not in good overall condition.
The ventilation system, which consists of external chimney pipes that help to extract the odours from the toilets, was damaged and partly removed. There were many exposed holes at the back of the toilet, which the inspectors found to be a hazard for the learners as they could fall in.
“The hygienic condition of the building was very bad and it could be a breeding ground for diseases,” the inspectors found.
With regard to the change rooms, facilities, environmental and general safety, the inspectors found that fire extinguishers were not provided in the whole workplace.
The lights in many of the rooms and offices were defective and were not replaced or repaired.
The roof was in a good condition in most of the building but most had falling ceiling boards.
The floors had holes in some of the classrooms. Most of the classrooms had broken windows and broken or missing doors.
OHS specialist Lucia Ramusi said there was a misconception that the OHS Act was only applicable to the private sector, but the truth was it that it was applicable to all sectors in the working environment including government.
“Our inspectors are working around the clock to inform and enforce compliance across the province, and the department urges all employers to ensure that they comply with the Act to prevent business interruptions,” Ramusi said.
Ramusi added that inspectors were expected to protect vulnerable communities and as a province they were elated to see them assisting the community as required by the legislation.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Education