Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE National Social Security Authority (Nssa) says the proposed Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill will revolutionise workplace safety in Zimbabwe, ushering in a modern, harmonised framework that extends protection to all sectors of the economy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 43rd Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) Annual Congress in Bulawayo, Nssa Occupational Safety and Health acting director Dr Betty Isabel Nyereyegona said the
Bill will close long-standing gaps in the country’s occupational safety regime.
“It harmonises the existing legislative framework in the country regulating occupational safety and health. The legislation that we have is fragmented and old, dating back to the 1940s, making it very difficult to enforce as it has lost relevance with the current trends in industry,” she said.
Dr Nyereyegona explained that the existing Factories and Works Act has limited scope, covering mainly factories, while leaving out critical sectors such as agriculture, mining and services.
“The current legislation, which is the Factories and Works Act, is limited in scope because it covers only factories and works, so we were not able to get into some of the sectors, such as agriculture or the services industry, among others, to enforce, but this new Bill will allow us enforce in all the sectors,” she said.
Citing as an example, Dr Nyereyegona said if a company loses an experienced worker to an accident, it would lose years of experience, so it would take time for it to get to the same level.
“There are direct and indirect costs related to injuries and diseases in the workplace. So it is important for us to have a healthy workforce which drives us to that vision we have as a nation,” she said.
“Legally, the jurisdictions we had for enforcement meant we could go and tell industry what to do and it was limited to just factories. We have seen that economies have changed and there are new forms of work.”
Dr Nyereyegona said the new Bill was at the Parliamentary level and they are having public hearings.
She said this was an opportunity for all members of the public to get their input included into the new Bill on how they want their workplace regulated as far as occupational safety and health is concerned.
Among its key provisions, the Bill proposes the establishment of a dedicated OSH Department within Nssa, headed by a director (Clause 4), the creation of a Medical Bureau of Occupational Diseases to oversee medical examinations and issue workplace health certificates (Clause 5) and the appointment of OSH inspectors to enforce compliance across all sectors.
Nssa, established under the National Social Security Authority Act (Chapter 17:04) of 1989, already administers several social security schemes. The new OSH Bill, Dr Nyereyegona said, will strengthen its mandate by ensuring safe, healthy workplaces nationwide.
