SA businesses face rising workforce risks as summer brings floods and storms

As South Africa moves into the peak of its summer rainy season, businesses are being urged to prepare for escalating flood and storm-related disruptions that could impact workforce health, safety and operations.

While summer often signals the arrival of the rainy season, this year it also brings mounting environmental volatility. The South African Weather Service has forecast above-normal rainfall across most regions, with the possible return of a La Niña system – heightening the risk of widespread flooding and infrastructure damage in already vulnerable areas.

“Floods and storms are no longer isolated events – they are recurring business disruptors,” says Dr Eileen Rajaram, deputy medical director at International SOS. “Beyond property damage, these hazards pose significant health and safety risks to employees. Businesses need to start viewing climate resilience as a core part of workforce protection.”

Floods and storms: A growing business threat

Over the past three years, South Africa has witnessed the destructive force of extreme rainfall: from the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods, to Eastern Cape storms in 2023, and flash floods earlier this year that damaged roads, disrupted supply chains and displaced communities.

Such events have a domino effect on business continuity. Companies face a wide range of operational risks during the rainy season, including:

• Disruption to services and supply chains from damaged infrastructure such as roads, bridges, power lines and healthcare facilities.
• Property or water damage affecting employee safety, equipment and materials.
• Transport disruptions, impacting the movement of employees or goods.
• Communication breakdowns, complicating employee location and emergency co-ordination.
• Increased risk of waterborne and vector-borne diseases (cholera, typhoid, malaria), placing additional stress on healthcare systems.
• Operational and financial losses from interrupted business activities.
• Civil unrest or service delivery protests due to a perceived inadequacy of government response.
• Damage to electric fencing on the perimeters of company properties increasing the chances of a security breach.

The overlooked human cost

While much of the focus falls on infrastructure damage, the human impact of flooding is equally severe. Contaminated water, disrupted sanitation and damp environments can lead to spikes in infectious diseases. Prolonged rainfall leading to disrupted routines and unsafe living conditions can also exacerbate mental health issues such as anxiety and depression among employees.

“Natural hazards are becoming a health crisis as much as an environmental one,” adds Dr Rajaram. “Employers must prioritise employee safety – not only during an emergency but in the recovery period that follows.”

Business preparedness is no longer optional

International SOS urges South African businesses to adopt a proactive approach to workforce health and safety amid natural hazards:

• Strategic evaluation: Assess organisational readiness and implement human capital strategies addressing climate-related health risks.
• Site-level planning: Identify exposure-specific risks such as flood-risks and implement targeted mitigation measures. Backup power supply such as batteries and generators could assist in mitigating a disruption in electricity provision
• Health-focused policies: Ensure both indoor and outdoor work environments are safe. Provide health education and review insurance, remote work and health support policies to minimise business and employee vulnerability.
• Emergency supplies: Maintain a stock of potable water to safeguard against the possibility of contaminated municipal water supply.

“Extreme weather is now part of doing business,” concludes Dr Rajaram. “Organisations that invest in preparedness – from site safety to employee well-being – will emerge more resilient in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.”

Image credit: Freepik/jannoon028