As the ominous threat of coronavirus infection becomes a reality in South Africa, the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), which is at the coalface of public space management, faces an extremely challenging time ahead.
CCID CEO Tasso Evangelinos says that while businesses are all affected by the possible consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the CCID is in a unique position in that its day-to-day business is in the frontline of what could become a very difficult situation should the virus gain hold in the city and the CBD.
The CCID is a private-public company mandated to provide top-up services in the areas of security, cleaning and social development, in addition to those already provided by the City of Cape Town and SAPS.
Says Tasso: “Our operational teams, who are on the streets of the Cape Town city centre 24/7, are the backbone of our business. While their safety is our primary concern, and we will do everything we can to protect them, the fact of the matter is that we cannot stop operating.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and trying our best to adapt to what is a very unusual, stressful and unprecedented situation."
With regard to the company’s 600-plus operational staff, Tasso says they provide a crucial service in the CBD and are contracted to the company through service providers Iliso Security Services, J&M Cleaning Services and NGO Straatwerk. The contract workers are out and about on the streets of the CBD day and night, interacting with members of the public and cleaning the streets.
“The threat of contracting Covid-19 is very real for these workers, and their safety is paramount to the CCID. We need to be very careful, and are therefore working closely with our service providers regarding what is expected of them under the circumstances,” Tasso says.
Above: A CCID Public Safety Officer wears gloves as a form of protection against contracting Covid-19
MANAGING THE THREAT
Louis Rademeyer, managing director of Iliso Protection Services, says the company has taken extensive measures in the light of the coronavirus threat. “PSOs are briefed at every shift change as to the protocols to follow when dealing with the public regarding keeping a safe distance, and making contact with a member of the public,” Louis says.
“They are advised not to greet anyone with a handshake, not to touch anyone unless it is absolutely necessary and only to touch or apprehend someone when wearing gloves.”
Officers are also reminded to sanitise their hands immediately after any contact with another person, and not to touch their face, he says.
Iliso Security Services has instituted the following procedures:
- Security staff have been issued with disposable gloves, with replacements available if necessary. Thicker gloves, that can be washed, will be issued to all staff members when they become available next week.
- Hand sanitiser has been issued to team members of specific units, and is also available on the mobile vehicles at all times.
- Staff have been instructed to use hand sanitiser when reporting for duty and when signing off.
- The parades when staff come on duty have been split to allow enough distance between staff members.
At J&M Cleaning Services, the safety of staff is of prime concern. Gloves are worn by staff every day in terms of their Service Level Agreement with the CCID. The company has implemented the following safety protocols to limit the spread of Covid-19:
- Staff are obliged to sanitise their hands when they arrive at work.
- Temperatures of staff are checked with a thermometer every day.
- The “parade routine” has been changed to limit the amount of people involved at any one time.
- Only five people are allowed to change into or out of their work gear at a time
J&M Cleaning Services director Chris Wickham says the company is pulling out the stops to keep the staff safe and well-informed.
BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL
Tasso says while the CCID has had to “rethink our business operating practices”, the company is committed to fulfilling its mandate to ensure the Cape Town CBD stays safe, clean and open for business. “We would like to reassure our stakeholders of our commitment, and we will try our best to ensure that we are able to operate with minimal disruption to our services”.
IMAGES: CCID