Heat stroke deaths: department suggests working early, late hours

Employment and labour minister Thulas Nxesi has called for urgent investigation into the cause of death of the seven farmworkers who died, apparently as a result of heatstroke, in Kakamas in the Northern Cape last week.

Nxesi on Friday sent condolences to the families of those who died in what is alleged to be linked with the sweeping heatwave experienced by the entire country, and the Kakamas region in particular.

“In passing condolences to the affected families and calling for urgent investigations, as the department of employment and labour — we will do our best to support and provide necessary services to the affected families,” Nxesi said.

According to the department’s inspectors, every employer was expected to conduct a risk assessment of the workplace, and when any of the identified risks changed, the employer needed to introduce mitigating measures, especially in this instance where there was a risk of temperatures rising to 51ºC.

Nxesi said inspectors were conducting inspections and have recommended that farm workers work from 4am to 11am and resume work at 5pm to 7pm.

In Kakamas, the sun sets at 8pm during this season.

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