About

GreenFlag Association

In the beginning ...

The GreenFlag Association began at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as a partnership between a leading South African environmental health and safety organisation, Apex Environmental, and enterprise and development agency, Supplier Development Initiatives (SDI). The initiative aimed to increase public awareness of the importance of proper ventilation of indoor spaces in preventing the transmission of Covid-19.

Similar to Blue Flag beach status and the Tourism Grading Council’s issuing of stars to tourism venues, Green Flag certification would signal to clients and customers that a venue is a safe space to visit or work in. By issuing certification to compliant facilities, it was felt that the GreenFlag Association could not only help make public spaces safer, but help them to avert national State of Disaster lockdowns.

Why get GreenFlag Certification?

GreenFlag certification offers benefits to owners and/or managers of public spaces and to their customers:

  • Certification provides customers peace of mind that a venue is safe to visit
  • Venue owners have a standard to rely on when communicating their efforts to create a safe and healthy space
  • Public health authorities have independent evidence that the space is safe
  • Certification attracts more business
  • Monitoring can take place on an ongoing basis
  • Staff stay healthy and productive

Who benefits from GreenFlag certification?

Any indoor space in which people gather in numbers, for example:

  • Offices and corporate spaces
  • Beauty and hair salons
  • Malls and retail outlets
  • Restaurants and bars

What are the benefits of GreenFlag certification?

  • Safer working and business environments
  • Prevent spread of airborne diseases, pathogens and pollutants in private and public spaces
  • Keep employees, customers, citizens and the community healthy
  • Peace of mind for customers
  • Give customers peace of mind that a space is safe to enter and has enough ventilation to minimise possible health risks
  • Strengthen your company’s position to oppose blanket lockdowns by authorities by providing up to date evidence of the safety of a space
  • Be part of a community that gathers data on an ongoing basis to establish how the spread of airborne diseases and pollutants in public spaces can be stopped

Rationale

From the beginning of the pandemic until the present day, there has been a lack of clear communication about the airborne nature of COVID-19 and the consequent risks of poorly ventilated environments. The risk of infection with Covid-19 rises with time spent in the breathing zone of an infected individual i.e. at “short” range (1-2m). Time spent in an indoor space breathing trapped exhaled air within a room or other indoor space also increases the risk of infection and is responsible for so-called superspreader incidents in which a single individual can infect dozens of others. Ensuring that public spaces, like restaurants, public transport and shops, are adequately ventilated can reduce infection at short range and within rooms and other indoor spaces. GreenFlag Association was established to respond to the need for understanding, advice and solutions that could promote health, save lives and keep the economy open.

Green Flag Association

Who can benefit from GreenFlag Certification?

Green Flag Office

Offices and corporate spaces

Green Flag Beauty salon

Beauty and hair salons

Green Flag Mall

Malls and retail outlets

Green Flag Restaurant

Restaurants and bars

Green Flag Hotel

Hotels and tourist attractions

Taxis and buses

Taxis and buses

Green Flag Association

Benefits of getting GreenFlag certification

Safe working and business environment

Prevent the spread of airborne diseases, pathogens and other toxic pollutants in private and public spaces by ensuring proper ventilation, thereby doing your part to keep your community healthy.

Peace of mind for customers

Inform customers of your Green Flag status to give them the peace of mind that your space is safe to enter and has enough ventilation to minimise possible health risks.

Prevent blanket lockdowns

Strengthen your company’s – and industry’s – position against any blanket lockdowns by authorities by providing relevant, up to date evidence of the safety of your space.

Build and gather data

Be part of a community that gathers data on an ongoing basis to establish how airborne diseases and pollutants spread in public spaces.