On 6 May we all listened in horror as radio stations across the country let us know about a building that had collapsed and 81 people were stuck in the rubble. Awful updates were constantly received with people being unaccounted for, being rushed to hospital in severe condition, or dying. 

There were allegations that the owner of the building wished to add a storey to the building that the foundations were not built for, and that the construction crew allowed and encouraged the cleaning ladies to mix cement for use in the multi storey building.

Neither of these have been proven unequivocally, however adding an extra storey without altering the foundations is illegal, and allowing someone unqualified to mix cement is a terrible idea. These things may have contributed to the tragedy, but most of the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the engineer in charge of the build. 

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has since placed the engineer in charge of the construction of the George building on precautionary suspension. The ECSA stated that the decision was made as a preventative measure to protect against any potential or actual harm to public health and safety as a result of engineering-related activities.

“The precautionary suspension is not a disciplinary action, but a temporary removal of and/or restriction on all of the registered person’s rights, privileges, and/or activities associated with professional registration with the ECSA,” the statement read.

There are allegations that the engineer had faced previous probes from ECSA but whether or not these allegations were investigated by the company appointing the engineer is unknown.

Will it take more tragedies like this one for companies to take employee screening seriously? Do more people need to die before we realise that false qualifications and lack of due diligence can lead to death?

This is not specific to the construction industry, all industries could be subject to massive damage and negative consequences by forgoing employee screening. The lesson we need to learn from this tragedy is once again, take no documents or qualifications at face value.

We need to verify everything we receive to ensure we only do business with reputable people or service providers. References are a great initial item to verify, but what companies must also do is investigate industry bodies that individuals and / or companies need to be registered with.

Examples of such industry bodies are:

• The Fire Service Industry: all technicians should be SAQCC registered and competent.
• The Mining Industry: it is compulsory that a mine company is registered under the Mineral Council of South Africa.
• The Engineering Industry: engineering institutions require engineers to be registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa. 
• The Building Industry: Building a new home is a key milestone in anyone’s life. The Act requires all home builders enrol every new home with the NHBRC at least 15 days before construction commences.
• The Education Industry: all educators are required to be registered with SACE.
• The Security Industry: all security service providers and security officers are required to be registered with PSIRA.
• Health Care Providers: are all required to register with the Health Professional Council of South Africa.

The list continues, but before hiring a staff member in a relevant position or entering into a business deal with certain companies, it is essential to ensure that they are legally compliant.

iFacts can help. We offer a variety of services for screening and vetting individuals and companies to ensure they are qualified, competent and legally compliant. 

Don’t take the risk. 

Hire with confidence, hire with iFacts.