Region C educates shopowners on health and safety bylaws

02 June 2016

 

The City of Johannesburg has embarked on a major educational drive in Region C to raise awareness among shop-owners of the importance of complying with environmental health and safety by-laws as well as national regulations governing such businesses.

 

During a workshop at the Braamfischerville Multipurpose Community Centre on Monday May 30 – the third since the campaign started a month ago – Regional Environmental Health Manager Andrew Motsuki called on all owners of retail businesses, including spaza shops in the various townships, not to engage in illegal, unsafe and unhygienic business practices, including the following:

 Selling of expired foodstuffs;

 Using the shops as sleeping quarters;

 Untidiness;

 Re-using of cooking oil, which could cause cancer;

 Renting out trading licences to other people; and

 Operating until late at night, which increased the risk of robberies.

 

He said the awareness campaign would be followed by a series of inspections to ensure shops complied with applicable by-laws and regulations.  Motsuki warned that businesses operating in breach of these by-laws and regulations would be shut down.

 

“Our mandate as the City of Joburg is to assist businesses to thrive, which helps reduce unemployment. Our aim is not to close down businesses but to assist them to comply with all the relevant by-laws and regulations.

 

“The City is conscious of the rate of unemployment and encourages residents to start and operate businesses. However, we also have an obligation to ensure that these businesses operate in a healthy and safe environment. But we will not hesitate to close down shops that do not comply with the by-laws and regulations,” Motsuki said.

Merna Maphanga of the City’s Emergency Management Services’ Fire Safety Division spoke about compliance issues that shop owners needed to abide by.

 

“All shops, big or small, are required to have escape doors, means of escape, fire equipment, safety signs symbols and a house-keeping area,” Maphanga said.

 

“These are preventative measures that all shops must comply with to prevent injury or death during an emergency, such as a fire.”

She explained that escape doors must have signs indicating their direction. The signs must be prominently displayed above the doors and on adjoining walls pointing towards these doors.

 

“The exit through the escape doors must be clear of any obstacles and must lead to safety away from danger. If the exit is blocked, people cannot escape from danger after exiting the escape door. That is a violation of the regulations,” Maphanga said.  The shops are also required to have fire-fighting equipment such as extinguishers.

 

Maphanga said this equipment must be in working order and be inspected annually by the installing company.  “The effectiveness of this equipment is regulated by by-laws and national building standards regulations. This includes the display of the equipment along a wall not blocked by any stock or objects for easy access. Signs pointing at their position must also be prominently displayed and visible,” Maphanga said. 

 

“It’s also important that stock and boxes are stacked at a reasonable height to prevent danger in case of a fire. We’re empowered by by-laws and national regulations to close down shops that do not comply with these preventative and safety measures.”  

 

The awareness creation campaign is continuing.