Bloemfontein - Labour inspectors have clamped down on a Free State contractor using sewage water to suppress dust while building a new road, an official said on Wednesday.
“The employer was immediately issued with a prohibition notice to stop using the dirty water collected from municipal sewerage systems by water trucks,” said Free State labour chief director Marsha Bronkhorst.
She said the practice posed a health hazard to the workers as well as members of the community.
The department said the construction company was inspected near the Thabong township in Welkom where it was upgrading a gravel road last week.
Bronkhorst said the company was issued with a list of contraventions, such as not reporting the construction work in the area to the department.
Other transgressions included an expired letter of good standing for Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), an expired certificate for a grader operator, hazard risk assessments not available on site, and health and safety representatives not appointed in writing.
Bronkhorst said the employer was given two weeks to comply or face further steps in terms of the law. - Sapa