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MINISTER of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, has urged employers to fully support efforts being made Government in trying to eradicate occupational health accidents and diseases.In a speech read on her behalf by Manicaland Provincial Administator, Mr Fungai Mbetsa during the belated World Day of Safety and Health at Work recently, Cde Chimene, said many employees were dying at the workplace due to ignorance in accident preventative measures by employers, while others were victims of other people’s negligence.
The celebrations ran under the theme: ‘Building a culture of safety and health in the use of chemicals at work.’
“It is immoral for someone to lose a life while making profit for someone else and it is also bad for someone to be at risk of occupational accidents because of someone’s negligence.
“As an employer, it is your duty to properly inform, train and protect your employees against health hazards and risks due to work activities. Workers who are directly exposed to hazardous work environments have the right to safe and healthy workplaces. It is essential that every employee be protected against health hazards and risks due to work activities. Occupational safety and health issues should form an important and high priority agenda item for any business enterprise,” she said.
Cde Chimene said Government was in the process of endorsing a seventh convention adding to the already existing six that protect and safeguard workers in their workplaces.
The six conventions that have been put in place by Government so far are: Convention 155 on Occupational Health and Safety, Convention 161 on Occupational Health Services, Convention 162 on Safety in the Use of Asbestos, 170 on Safety in the use of Chemicals at the Workplace, Convention 174 on Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents, Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines.
Government is in the process of ratifying Convention 187 on Promotional Framework for Occupational Health.
The event was also graced by Mutare mayor, Councillor Tatenda Nhemarare, Mr Mutsvatiwa from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Banda from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and Mr Dzikiti from the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ).
Mr Banda said in the first quarter of this year only, close to 1 500 workers have already been victims of occupational health accidents and diseases, with 11 being fatal cases, while 13 of them having been diagnosed of pneumoconiosis which is caused by the inhalation of dust.
“In Zimbabwe only, 2014 recorded 5 491 cases of occupational health accidents and diseases, but the first quarter of this year only has recorded about 1 420 cases which means that if these conditions remain unaddressed by December, 2015 more cases will have been reported compared to last year,” he said.
He also added that employers had to follow the Occupational Safety and Health Policy that was launched last year by Government since it was clear that they had been ignoring it and exposing their employees to harsh and risky working conditions.
Mr Mutsvatiwa from ILO urged all employers and employees to join the organisation in a culture of occupational hazardous conditions and raising awareness of the occupational hazardous issues.
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