THE unsafe working conditions and lack of air circulation inside the national Department of Health’s Civitas headquarters is believed to have caused the untimely death of a 59-year-old general worker.
Caroline Nkosi collapsed while at work on November 12 after she experienced breathing difficulties.
She was admitted to hospital, where her condition worsened until she died last week. Nkosi had been working from the building since 2001.
The sad news about her death broke yesterday during a protest by her colleagues at the main entrance of the building.
Demonstrators vowed not to resume work until Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi had addressed their complaints regarding the unsafe building.
They blamed the minister for Nkosi’s death, claiming it was caused by the dusty conditions at work.
Her bereaved family from Mamelodi East expressed disappointment at the poor working environment under which Nkosi worked. They too believed the conditions adversely affected her health.
Relative Nicodemus Nkosi said the family were looking for answers from the department as to what actually happened to their loved one.
He said the family believed her death was due to the lack of air circulation inside the building. “She used to complain about the unsafe conditions inside the building,” he said.
The deceased’s daughter Nini Nkosi said: “We knowshe is not going to come back, but for the sake of other employees, we want the building to be fixed.
“She used to tell us that she wants to take an early retirement because she was worried that people are dying at work.”
She said her mother never used to have breathing difficulties, but started to complain about her health while working at the department. “She used to be a healthy person and never had respiratory problems.”
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said the unsafe conditions at the building were confirmed by a report compiled by the Department of Labour.
Nehawu shop steward Bhungani Mzolo said the report was compiled following an inspection on November 29, 2018.
Mzolo said workers wanted Motsoaledi and the director-general to make sure the building complied with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
“The building must be in a such a condition that the employees are able to work, where they can be able to breath and where they don’t suffer from diseases,” he said.
He said workers were not on strike, but were there “to agitate and make sure that we get the authority to comply with the act”.
Part of the report, dated January 15, 2019, noted that the inspection established “that there is a presence of black dust in every office we have inspected, both in the south tower and north tower”.
According to the report, the dust was found on windows, walls around air-conditioning unit and inside the air-conditioning unit grid covers.
“Employees interviewed claim that they experience traces of black substance when they blow their nose,” the report said.
Mzolo said the building was a tragedy waiting to happen, and there had been another report that showed the building was 80% non-compliant with safety regulations.
“It doesn’t seem there is a political will to address the problem.
“Nehawu can’t allow people to go into the building that we know doesn’t comply.”
He said the unsafe condition of the building spelt danger and the deaths of more people had to be prevented.
“If the situation can continue like this we are going to have another Life Esidemeni here,” Mzolo said.
Department spokesperson Popo Maja was in a meeting and thus unable to comment.