Sivest SBI investments Addendum to health and safety plan to cover COVID
Content
1. Introduction
2. References
3. Risk assessment
4. Special appointments
5. Workers transport
6. Symptoms
7. Security/access control/control of visitors onsite
8. Pre-construction evaluation, screening, and training
9. Medical evaluation
10. Training program
11. Updated documents, procedures and policies to include COVID 19
12. Managing and controlling flammable hazardous chemicals
13. Emergency preparedness and response
14. Signs and posters
15. Phasing of activities, personnel and contractors
1. Introduction
COVID 19 Novel Corona virus has changed the world we live in and how we will
conduct business activities and life in the future. Due to this it has become
necessary to take special precautions, to plan and implement control measures, to
prevent further spread of this disease.
This plan is based on the prevention of persons, objects/tools being contaminated
with the virus, infection transmission and specific occupational hygiene practices
that focus on the need for employers to implement measures to mitigate or
eliminate the transmission of the virus in the workplace.
2. References
The Department of Employment and Labour has appealed to employers to use
the prescriptions of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act of 1993 in
governing workplaces in relation to Coronavirus Disease 2019 COVID19 under
the National Disaster Act
Department of labour, notice no. 479, 29 April 2020, covid-19, Occupational health
and safety measures in workplaces Covid-19 (c19 ohs), directive by the minister of
employment and labour in terms of regulation 10 (8) of the regulations issued by the
minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs in terms of
section 27 (2) of the disaster management act, 2002 (act no. 57 of 2002)
The OHS Act read with the Hazardous Biological Agents Regulations requires the
employer to provide and maintain as far as is reasonably practicable a working
environment that is safe and without risks to the health of employees
Section 8(2)(b) requires steps such as may be reasonably practicable to eliminate or
mitigate any hazard or potential hazard before resorting to personal protective
equipment (PPE). However, in the case of COVID19, a combination of controls is
required, although the main principle is to follow the hierarchy of controls
However, before the implementation of control measures, current risk assessments
has been reviewed and updated, considering the new hazards posed by exposure to
COVID-19 in the workplace. The risk assessment has taken the Risk Assessment
Guides published online by the National Department of Health into account
3. Risk assessment
Sivest SBI investments has evaluated the hasard of infection with the COVID 19 virus
and has developed a COVID 19 specific risk assessment for his project
4. Special appointments
a. Sivest SBI investments has appointed a manager to address the concerns of
employees and workplace representatives concerning COVID 19 who will report all
non-compliances to the CEO
b. Appointment and training of security personnel and adequate personnel to conduct
procedures of screening, isolating, conducting questionnaire and further actions
required if person presents positive COVID 19 symptoms
5. Workers transport
a. Where possible Sivest SBI investments arrange transport of their employees in line
with the travel rules of not more than 70% occupancy and social distancing
b. Where not possible to avoid the use of public transport, Sivest SBI investments shall
provide employees with information on the virus and precautions to take during public
transport travel:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Frequent sanitising
Maintain social distancing (at least 2 m)
Always wear a mask
Coughing, sneezing safe practice and spitting
When being coughed or sneezed on, turn face away and do not touch face
before hands have been sanitised
vi. Do not travel if experiencing symptoms of infection
vii. Provide employees with CIPC travel certificate
6. Symptoms
a. The symptoms of most coronaviruses are like any other upper respiratory
infection, including
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Runny nose,
Coughing,
Sore throat, and sometimes
fever
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headache.
7. Security/access control/control of visitors onsite
a. Sivest SBI investments shall limit access to site site/office during the level 4
lockdown period and all employees including visitors shall be sanitized at the
entrance and exit points.
b. A policy of lockdown inside site for the whole shift will be maintained which will
mean that employees will not be allowed to exit and re-enter the site during working
hours. This will prevent employees from bringing contaminated food or articles onto
site and will have to bring food from home
c. Sivest SBI investments shall enforce strict access control and no person may
enter the site except those who have undergone induction training and who is
listed on the employee list
d. The only exceptions are persons who have pre-arranged official appointment
which has been approved by the construction manager. This person may not
enter the site before they have passed the screening procedure (fever and
questionnaire) and thereafter must be escorted by a person designated by the
construction manager
e. Sivest SBI investments will not have any biometric access control on site and
access to site will be monitored closely by the security on site
f. Delivery vehicle drivers must undergo and pass the full COVID 19 screening
procedure or may not leave the cab of the vehicle and must wear a face mask.
g. All employees will be screened, fever and questionnaire at the entrance prior to
be allowed on site and should one of the employees found to be contracted with
corona virus that employee will be Quarantined on a quarantine place on site
and compliance officers will then isolate the employee, on site and then inform
the Department of Health and the client DOH will then come and fetch the
infected employees for quarantine.
h. Upon arrival back from quarantine the appointed Compliance officer will give
counselling to these employees and as well as to the rest of the employees telling
them that the employees who came back from Quarantine are free from the virus
and they are now welcomed to come back to work.
8. Pre-construction evaluation, screening, and training
Sivest SBI investments and its contractors has conducted the following preparatory
actions before going to site:
a. Complete the health, contact, travel valid medical questionnaire.
b. Conduct fever screening
This information will be recorded, and each employee must sign that he/she has
undergone this screening and training and understands and procedures. This
document of confirmation will be signed by the CEO of the company.
9. Medical evaluation
Employees medical evaluation, ensuring annual medical is valid
Screening
➢ Fever screening
➢ Health questionnaire (signs and symptoms)
➢ Questionnaire of travel during shut down and exposure
10. Training program
Sivest SBI investments and contractors has developed a full risk-based induction
training and awareness program, policies, and procedure for COVID 19 and
communicate it with management, employees and contractors which include the
following:
a. Employee practical understanding of:
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the risks of the virus
how do you get contaminated?
how do you get infected?
signs and symptoms
prevention
b. Employees responsibility to look after their own health and safety and preventing
from being infected or infecting other persons
c. What is COVID 19
d. How are you infected
e. The symptoms and signs (ever, cough, sore throat, redness of eyes or shortness
of breath or difficulty in breathing, body aches, loss of smell or loss of taste,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, or tiredness
f. The incubation period
g. The risk of underlying conditions, i.e.:
 People 65 years and older
 People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
 People who have serious heart conditions People who are
immunocompromise
 People with diabetes
 People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
 People with liver disease
f. Self-monitoring and reporting of symptoms, possible exposure, or infection to
company
g. The importance of being aware of who you have been in contact with during
work and after hours to assist with tracking in case of being infected
h. How to self-isolate
i. Company COVID sick leave and Temporary Employer Relief Scheme under
regulation 10(8) of the Regulations promulgated in terms of section 27(2) of the
Disaster Management Act.
j. How to prevent infection through:
 Sanitising of Hands, Site facilities, surfaces, tools and equipment, phones,
pens and other material that you will be in contact with
 Personal hygiene
 Social distancing, personal contact
 Not touching face if hand are not sanitised
 The correct way to cough or sneeze
 Correct use, limitations of and disposal of PPE
 How to protect yourself and family after hours
11. Sivest SBI investments will update the following to include COVID 19:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
SHE plan and risk assessment
Policies
PPE requirements
Method Statement
Risk assessment shall cover all the risks associated with the COVID -19 Workplace
Management plan
f. (Please refer to the risk assessment)
g. Stay at home policy and sick leave
h. Employee assistance/care program Include COVID awareness in every day
DSTI/permit to work system.
12. Facilities, resources provided and action taken by Sivest SBI investments to
prevent spreading of the virus
Sivest SBI investments has/will:
a. Provide employees with appropriate PPE for their tasks
b. Prevent employees from having to come into close proximity of other persons before
entering the site, training, eating areas, meetings, working(Queuing or bundling
together)
c. Provide drinking water that cannot be contaminated with the virus
d. Adequate and appropriate risk-based PPE such as N95 masks, cloth masks, hand
gloves, face shields etc
e. Sanitising/hand washing facilities at entrance, eating areas, offices, kitchens,
toilets (Foot pedal hand sanitisers is the preferable option)
f. Ensure that all workplace are well ventilated
g. Provide sanitisers and or soaps and fresh water for employees to sanitise/wash
their hands all the time
h. Shall plan work and activities to permit only essential workers to spend time on site,
Staggered meeting/eating times, use of Zoom, Skype, teams for meetings where
necessary. Individual, segregated facilities for safe keeping; Induction training and
a program for information and training.
i. Post awareness signage and posters at assembly points
j. Conduct induction training on COVID-19 as per section 10 of this document
k. Conduct weekly Toolbox talk
l. The construction supervisor will conduct daily task specific risk assessment
before any work commences
m. Housekeeping and garbage removal will be done regularly
n. All hazardous Waste shall be kept on site and will arrange a waste disposal
company to come and collect the waste on a regular basis and keep record of
the disposal of hasardous waste certificate.
o. Cleaning of Offices and other places must happen in the morning, lunch time and
before knocking off.
p. Site boardroom does not have windows therefore the boardroom will be
disinfected including the aircons and the aircons will be serviced and monitored
q. The site shall provide an isolation area/tent/room where person can be
interviewed and remain until instructions have been received from the COVID 19
control Centre or Department of Health on next step to be taken.
13. Managing and controlling flammable hazardous chemicals
a. Sivest SBI investments shall use sanitizers for COVID 19 that must have a
minimum of 70% alcohol, and it is important that adequate stock is readily
available
b. Due to its high alcohol content it poses a fire risk as well as a possible risk of
being used by workers for intoxicating purposes which can lead to poisoning
c. These hasards have been taken into account when the risk assessments was
updated
d. If sanitising materials will be stored onsite Sivest SBI investments will provide a
flammable liquid storage facility, considering the quantities that will be stored
onsite which conforms with local government fire regulations and GSR 4 The
storage area will be lockable and issuing and stock levels must be controlled by
an appointed competent hazardous chemical substance controller
e. Inspections of the flammable hazardous chemicals store will be conducted at least
monthly
f. Records of stock levels, issuing and usage shall be updated daily, and any
discrepancies must be reported to management and investigated, and;
g. Adequate alcohol resistant foam or Carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishers shall
be appropriately positioned Inspections of the flammable hazardous chemicals
store must be conducted at least monthly
h. Safe decanting procedures which includes spillage control will be adhered to at all
times
i. Bottles into which it has been decanted into will be marked to clearly show the
contents
j. Appropriate and adequate signage shall be posted
k. First aiders will be trained on the first aid measures as set out in the MSDS
14. Emergency preparedness and response
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK 24 HOUR HOTLINE IS 0800029999
a. Preparedness:
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Appointments for Covid 19 Manager and Officer
Appointments for First Aiders
Appointments and documents to be available on site
Trained identified employees to do screening with thermometers
Issue PPE (Gloves, Masks, Sanitizers) to all Employees
Prepare Isolation Room with First Aid Box
Ensure that Isolation room is continuously sanitized
Covid 19 Officer to evaluate employees daily measured temperature
Report any temperature trends to Covid 19 Manager
b. Response:
 For any person who contracts the COVID-19 virus, the Covid 19 Manager for
Sivest SBI investments will ensure that the following will be done:
 Person will be isolated in the identified isolation room and be issued with a
clean set of overall.
 Temperature will be measured and recorded with any other symptoms that
arise. Refer to Covid 19 register for any underlying illnesses.
 Contaminated overall will be placed in a plastic bag and after 7 days it will be
safe to dispose in general waste.
 An appointed Covid 19 officer dressed in the required disposable PPE will
escort the Employee by means of company transport to the identified testing
center to get tested.
 Any persons developing severe symptoms during the day while working or
when leaving the site will be treated as per procedure stated above. Corona
Virus Hotline will be contacted to advise on necessary steps to be taken.
 Inform client and client health and safety agent,
 Inform the Department of Health and the Department of Employment and
Labour,
 Investigate the cause including any control failure.
 Review the risk assessment to ensure that the necessary controls and PPE
requirements are in place and must give administrative support to any
contact-tracing measures implemented by the Department of Health.
 Any person with flu like symptoms is advised to not report for duty and
instead consult their medical practitioner of choice, normal sick leave
procedures should be adhered to. Medical certificate from medical
practitioner stating that employee is fit to work to be presented.
 Employees identified with Covid 19, Return to work policy issued by Dept of
Health to be followed before employee return to work.
 The details of all employees in the vicinity of the employee who tested
positive will be recorded and constant monitoring will be done to the
individuals.
15. Signs and posters
Sivest SBI investments will where applicable post awareness posters and signage
16. Phasing of activities, personnel and contractors
Project planning will be done in such a manner to reduce as far as possible
simultaneous operations of contractor to reduce the risk of infections.