11 000 Covid-19 safety kits to be rolled out to Western Cape businesses

Today (17 June 2020), I visited Calypso Square in Mitchells Plain and handed out the first of the 11 000 Covid-19 Business Safety Kits that will be distributed to businesses across the Western Cape to support them to implement the necessary health measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace.

The Covid-19 Business Safety Kit has been designed to enable Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and informal traders to operate their business safely and responsibly, with each kit containing:

• Two bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitiser
• Ten re-usable cloth face masks
• Information posters on preparing and staying safe before work, how to be safe at work and while taking breaks, and what to do when returning home from work
• Leaflets for customers on shopping safely

These 11 000 Covid-19 Business Safety Kits will primarily be distributed to SMMEs and informal traders in hotspot areas across the province, and will supplement the SMME COVID-19 Toolkits already being distributed by the City of Cape Town.

For us to ensure that businesses remain open and more people get back to work, it is important that everyone adhere to the critical safety measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace.

The launch of the Covid-19 Business Safety Kits is one more way that we are working hard to support businesses, to save jobs and save the economy in the Western Cape during the Covid-19 crisis.

We have a number of valuable resources for employers and employees to reduce the risk of Covid-19 in the workplace, which can be found on the Western Cape government’s website.

For employers:

• Read our health guidelines on preventing and managing Covid-19 infections in the workplace: coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-how-prevent-and-manage-covid-19-infections
• Download our Covid-19 safety information materials for the workplace such as posters, decals and checklists: coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/resources
• Find Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suppliers through our PPE marketplace: supportbusiness.co.za/marketplace
• Report a positive case of Covid-19 in your workplace to the Western Cape Department of Health with this online form: coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/reporting-covid-19-workplace

For employees:

• Read our FAQs on how you can stay safe in the workplace, and what your employer needs to do to ensure your safety:  coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/frequently-asked-questions/employees/frequently-asked-questions-employees
• Report businesses that are not following the necessary health guidelines to stop the spread of Covid-19 using this online form: coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-business-safety-complaint-form

For any questions on implementing safety guidelines in the workplace, businesses can email us at supportbusiness@wesgro.co.za