Page 21 - SABN AR 2021

Pandemic management
The President of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 (Disaster Management Act) on Sunday, 15 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the announcement by the President of the national lockdown from midnight on 26 March 2020, the SABN invoked its business continuity management protocols to comply with the nationwide lockdown regulations. The SARB JOC and the SABN JOC were duly constituted.
The SABN operations were shut down for the month of April 2020 and resumed again on 4 May 2020, with only critical employees allowed to return to the facility to ensure that the SABN could continue to supply banknotes to the SARB as an essential service.
Since the beginning of the lockdown, various measures have been implemented to ensure that SABN employees continue to comply with the COVID-19 regulations as well as the Disaster Management Act. Key controls implemented include:
> establishing the SABN JOC to ensure critical tasks are executed as per the regulations;
> appointing a compliance officer for the SABN site;
> developing and implementing a detailed workplace plan;
> increasing the capacity of the SABN clinic to provide screening and consultation facilities;
> conducting bio-health risk assessments for all active processes on site;
> putting a communication plan in place to keep SABN employees informed about the COVID-19 protocols and to educate employees about the COVID-19 pandemic;
> conducting the daily screening of employees and contractors entering the site;
> providing the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves as well as hand sanitisers to all employees;
> developing and implementing COVID-19 incident management procedures; and
> conducting mandatory return-to-work polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of all employees in June 2020 and January 2021.
The SABN is currently fully compliant with the COVID-19 regulations and the Disaster Management Act.
South African Bank Note Company (RF) Proprietary Limited
Annual Report 2021
21