The Group Five/WHBO-led consortium building the 2010 soccer World Cup stadium in Durban said that it had addressed all safety concerns listed on the Department of Labour’s prohibition notice, and that the construction programme for the 70 000 seater remained ahead of schedule.

“Within four hours all items were addressed,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

This comes as the Labour Department issued a prohibition notice on Monday, after it visited the construction site. The department has shut down several areas, sparking fears that the Moses Mabhida stadium might not meet its deadline for completion.

“At no time was overall construction on the site halted or the construction programme impacted upon. Current construction activities are intensifying in line with the overall planning.”

The consortium also said that it was “extremely surprised” by the issue of the probation notice, and that it had appointed an accredited and professionally registered safety consultant, Chris Busch, to carry out an independent audit on the site.

The Labour Department has clamped down on major construction sites around Durban this week, as part of its nationwide workplace inspections of the construction industry.

The department has already shut down scores of construction sites and issued compliance notices around the country. It described the inspection of construction sites as an “alarming plunge” in labour law compliance.

To subscribe to Engineering News's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.