Workplace injuries, deaths up

Last year there were 5 141 serious occupational injuries which resulted in 103 deaths, the highest number of occupational injuries and deaths since the country came out of hyperinflation. In fact, the figures are the highest since 2007, when there were more injuries but fewer deaths.

In 2011, there were 4 158 serious work-related injuries recorded, 75 of which were fatal. In 2010 there were 4 410 serious injuries, resulting in 90 deaths. In 2009 the figures were 3 122 serious accidents with 64 deaths. In 2008 there were 3 810 serious injuries with 65 fatalities.

While there could be a relationship between the rise in the number of injuries and deaths at work and increased economic activity, NSSA occupational safety and health director Rodgers Dhliwayo had no hesitation in identifying the root cause as a lack of concern on the part of employers for the safety and health of their employees.

The root causes he said were that most employers were not investing in occupational safety and health and had not adopted a systems approach to managing occupational safety and health.

“In short, they do not care much about the safety and health of their workers,” he said.
The immediate causes of accidents ranged from ignorance, recalcitrance, stubbornness, short-cutting procedures and incompetence, he said.

Few employers would like to be told that they do not care much about the safety and health of their workers. However, if they are not prepared to take the steps needed to adequately safeguard their staff, then that surely amounts to a lack of adequate care for their welfare.

Protecting employees from injury may require a certain amount of expenditure. When money is tight and economic conditions are difficult, it is tempting for business people to cut corners and avoid unnecessary expenditure.

However, spending money on protecting the lives and health of staff is not unnecessary expenditure. It is essential expenditure for anyone who cares about the lives and welfare of those they employ. It is also, in the long run, in a business’s own interests too.
Employers and workers both have a responsibility to ensure safe working environments and practices.

Employers have the primary responsibility for ensuring workplace safety, through adhering to safety regulations, ensuring boilers and machinery are safe, ensuring machinery that requires safety guards is fitted with those guards, providing employees with protective clothing and safety materials and ensuring they use them, putting in place occupational safety and health systems and procedures, educating staff on safety precautions and procedures and putting systems in place to ensure safety procedures are complied with.

However, employees must also play their part. After all, it is generally their safety and health that are at risk, if they do not follow laid down safety procedures.
They need to adhere to established safety and health procedures and policies, wear protective clothing and equipment   provided for them, bring to management’s attention any safety and health risks and press for the  necessary steps to be taken to minimise these risks.

If necessary, where their concerns are not addressed, they should report them to the National Social Security Authority’s safety and health department.
Last year the number of work-related deaths exceeded 100 for the first time for a long time. For a small economy like Zimbabwe’s the number is high.
However, it is not only the number of deaths that is cause for concern. The number of serious injuries, at almost a thousand more than the previous year and more than 2 000 more than in 2009 is also unacceptably high.

While the time off work that such injuries cause varies, in some cases the accident results in a permanent disability.
There is the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fund, which employers pay premiums to, that provides compensation in the event of an employee becoming incapacitated through a work-related injury or disease.

However, it will never be possible to adequately compensate a person for permanent disabilities that affect their ability to earn a living or the manner in which they are able to relate to others.

NSSA endeavours to help ensure the safety and health of workers through education programmes, inspections of workplaces, enforcement of safety and health regulations and offering advice on the most appropriate safety and health system for a particular company or organisation.

It encourages companies to go beyond the minimum requirements of legislation and put in place comprehensive occupational safety, health and environmental management systems.

Companies that do not have the capacity to put such systems in place can approach NSSA for assistance, which will be provided at no cost to the company.
NSSA runs two-month courses on Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Management in Harare and Bulawayo that it would be beneficial for employers to send selected employees on.

It also conducts Occupational Safety and Health workshops throughout the country.

• Talking Social Security is published weekly by the National Social Security Authority as a public service. There is also a weekly radio programme, PaMhepo neNSSA/Emoyeni leNSSA, discussing social security issues at 6.50pm every Thursday on Radio Zimbabwe and 6.50pm every Friday on National FM. Readers can e-mail issues they would like dealt with in this column to [email protected] or text them to 0735 041 278. Those with individual queries should contact their local NSSA office or telephone NSSA on (04) 706517-8 or 706523-5.