Pretoria - Labour Minister Membhathisi Mdladlana has criticized the "sloppiness" of safety measures at a farm in the eastern Free State, after a worker was attacked by lions.
"It is very sad that people continue to get injured and some die in their places of work due to safety sloppiness," said the Minister.
Mdladlana said the glaring lack of safety and health culture among South Africans was the biggest contributor to the rampant occupational accidents that workers continued to suffer in big numbers in their workplaces.
Sixty-two-year-old Ronald Odendaal was attacked by lions while he was cleaning their cages in Mara Farm near Kestell. He is currently in a serious condition in the intensive care unit at Medi-clinic in Bethlehem.
According to preliminary investigations, the incident was allegedly caused by a faulty gate leading to the main lions' camp which the victim was attempting to close when he was attacked.
Mdladlana says while investigations are continuing, his department has also moved swiftly to ensure that all documentation was completed for the worker to receive medical care through its Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida).
The Minister has re-emphasized that occupational health and safety in the workplace remains a responsibility of everyone, including workers themselves, to avoid unnecessary injuries and possible loss of lives.
The department's inspectors throughout the country conduct workplace inspections checking on the adherence of labour laws, which includes the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
