adminSpeaking at an engineers’ workshop yesterday, Acting Labour and Social Services Minister Theresa Makone said for an economy operating at below half its capacity, the continued rise in work-related accidents and fatalities was unacceptable.
“The first two months of this year have already experienced 959 serious injuries with 30 fatalities. Same time last year there were 821 serious injuries with 17 deaths,” Minister Makone said.
She said incidents of pneumoconiosis, an incurable disease caused by inhalation of hazardous dust at workplaces, were also increasing in the country.
So far this year six cases of the disease have been reported, while 12 were recorded for the whole of last year.
Minister Makone challenged engineers to do everything possible to prevent workplace accidents, loss of life and damage of equipment and the environment.
“It is also for this reason that the Government of Zimbabwe, with its social partners who are labour and business, has put structures in place to safeguard the safety and social security of workers in this country,” she said.
Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe representative Mr Taps Mashingaidze, who is also Zimbabwe Phosphate Industries Limited general manager, said the organisation will continue raising safety awareness among its members.
“Safety is a matter of great concern at Emcoz because there is correlation between business and safety. The better organisations adhere to safety standards the better products or services produced,” he said.
Mr Mashingaidze said companies were going through difficult a time but that should not compromise employees’ safety. – New Ziana.
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