It was on Christmas eve when a liquid petroleum gas tanker traveling from Richards Bay to Botswana, exploded in Boksburg, Gauteng.
According to a police preliminary investigation, it has been revealed that the explosion was a result of the gas tanker not being able to drive under a low-level bridge. This was followed by an explosion that spread to the Tambo Memorial Hospital and claimed 26 lives.
A total of 37 patients and hospital staff members who were in or near the hospital's accident and emergency unit at the time of this incident sustained severe burns and were sent to neighbouring hospitals.
The Department of Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said the department sends condolences to the families who are bereaved due to this incident and wishes speedy recovery to those that suffered injuries.
In a statement, Nxesi also said:
We will ensure that the workers that lost their lives and got injured as well as their families are assisted where applicable through the department’s entities.
This will be done through the Compensation Fund as well as the Unemployment Insurance Fund services as prescribed by both the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) and Unemployment Insurance Act (UIF) Act respectively.
The Compensation for Occupational Diseases Act, offers compensation for disablement brought on by occupational injuries or diseases that employees contract while working, as well as for death brought on by such injuries or diseases.
While the Unemployment Insurance Fund covers the payment of unemployment benefits to certain employees from the Fund as well as the payment of death, illness, maternity, adoption, and dependent benefits related to the unemployment of such employees, it does not cover these situations.
Employers are obliged to register with the appropriate commissioners for each. A transgressor is subject to a fine or to imprisonment, or to both a fine and jail, unless exempt from assessment, notably in the case of COIDA.
Also in the case of an employer failing to pay UIF contributions and declare workers, this can have lasting consequences.
