Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
OCCUPATIONAL health specialists have sounded the alarm over unsafe working conditions in Zimbabwe’s fast-growing informal sector, warning that millions of workers remain exposed to serious hazards without legal protection or medical safeguards.
Speaking at the 46th annual conference of the Zimbabwe Occupational Health Nurses Association (ZOHNA) in Mutare, experts called on the Government to urgently strengthen workplace health and safety systems to protect vulnerable workers.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, emphasised that occupational health and workplace wellness are “key pillars of sustainable socio-economic development,” underscoring their importance in achieving national growth.
The informal sector, now the country’s dominant employer, continues to operate outside formal occupational safety frameworks.
Workers face daily risks ranging from chemical exposure and machinery injuries to heat stress and noise-induced hearing loss — often without access to trained professionals or workplace health surveillance.
Delegates stressed that modernising occupational safety and health systems is, not only vital to safeguarding the workforce, but also central to advancing National Development Strategy (NDS2).
They urged policymakers to prioritise inclusive protections that extend beyond the formal economy, ensuring no worker is left behind.
“A healthy workforce contributes significantly towards enhanced productivity, reduces occupational injuries and diseases, improves organisational performance and services, and national economic growth,” said Minister Mugadza, adding that the Government remains committed to promoting decent work, occupational safety and public health in line with national policies and international labour standards.
Minister Mugadza said collaboration between occupational health professionals, employers, regulators and institutions such as the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), Ministry of Health and Child Care and workplace service providers is critical in addressing emerging workplace challenges.
“These partnerships are essential in addressing workplace injuries, occupational diseases, technological and industrial transitions, and the evolving demands of modern workplaces,” said Minister Mugadza, who also commended occupational health professionals for supporting national development through prevention programmes, workplace surveillance and employee wellness initiatives.
“President Mnangagwa has consistently emphasised the importance of continual dialogue and collaboration in advancing workplace health and safety standards,” he said.
The conference, which ran under the theme: ‘Integrating Innovation and Humanity: Transforming Occupational Health for a Resilient and Equitable Workforce in Zimbabwe’, brought together occupational health professionals, Government officials, regulators, employers and workplace safety experts from across the country.
In her address, NSSA occupational safety and health promotion and training manager, Dr Shingi Mugaviri, warned that Zimbabwe’s rapidly expanding informal sector requires urgent occupational health attention as it has become larger than the formal sector in some areas of the economy.
“The informal sector is really growing. It is a bigger chunk than the formal sector. All these vehicles you see on the roads are owned by people running their own businesses. We need to be more serious about focusing on preventative programmes for them,” said Dr Mugaviri, further warning that many workers operating in informal industries are exposed to serious occupational hazards without proper training, monitoring or protection.
Dr Mugavari said occupational health professionals should become more vocal in identifying and challenging unsafe workplace practices instead of remaining silent.
“When you see anything happening, do not ignore it. As an occupational health nurse, you are a safety and health practitioner in your own right,” said Dr Mugaviri, adding that occupational health advocacy should extend beyond large companies and urban industries into rural communities, schools, growth points and small-scale enterprises.
“We do have workers in rural areas. We need to start reaching out to teachers, hospital workers and people running small industries in those communities,” she said.
She said occupational health awareness remains low in many workplaces, resulting in workers unknowingly exposing themselves to harmful substances, unsafe equipment and poor hygiene practices.
Dr Mugaviri also stressed the importance of improving emergency response systems at workplaces, particularly in high-risk sectors such as mining, agriculture and transport.
“Delayed emergency responses are costing lives in workplaces and industries across the country. Workers who suffer snake bites, road traffic accidents or factory injuries must receive immediate medical attention to improve chances of survival. Employers and occupational health professionals need to strengthen workplace emergency preparedness systems and improve reaction times during accidents and health emergencies. Future occupational health systems must move beyond injury treatment towards prevention, resilience and holistic worker wellbeing,” she said, further encouraging occupational health professionals to embrace continuous learning, research and digital technologies to remain relevant in evolving workplaces. She added that simple and low-cost wellness initiatives could significantly improve worker well being.
ZOHNA vice president, Mrs Yolande Mpofu, said occupational health professionals are operating in rapidly changing environments shaped by economic pressures, emerging technologies, climate-related hazards and changing workplace systems.
“We are in a time where occupational health challenges are rapidly evolving. There are emerging technologies, changing work environments, psychosocial risks and climate-related hazards that demand we rethink how we deliver occupational health services,” said Mrs Mpofu, adding that occupational health professionals needed to remain innovative, proactive and compassionate in dealing with workplace health challenges.
“While technology and innovation continue to reshape workplaces across the world, the human element must remain at the centre of occupational health practice. Our responsibility is not only to protect workers from harm, but also to promote dignity, productivity and sustainable development within every workplace,” she said.
