Development of a National Occupational Safety and Health Programme for Malawi

The workshop’s general objective was to impart the workshop participants with the necessary skills to enable them elaborate a draft version of a National OSH Programme for Malawi. The workshop was aimed at decision-makers and government officials as well as representatives of workers’ organizations and representatives of employers’ organizations involved in the national governance of OSH.

The key issues raised during the workshop included the following:

  • A large informal sector that was difficult to reach;
  • Inadequate coverage and involvement for women;
  • Inadequate implementation of policies; and
  • OSH issues overshadowed by industrial relations issues when discussed side by side by the tripartite body set up under the Industrial Relations Act.

Building upon the strong and weak points that the working groups had identified in Malawi’s national OSH system, the groups proceeded to identify priority areas that needed urgent attention in order to improve the country’s OSH situation. The following were identified as key priorities:

  • Improve Regulations on OSH;
  • Capacity Building;
  • Creating an OSH National Committee;
  • Improve enforcement;
  • Improve collection of data; and
  • Improve Occupational Safety and health Awareness.

Recommendations for follow-up

To maintain the momentum built by the workshop the following recommendations were made for follow-up:

  • A tripartite National Project Advisory Committee to be appointed and inaugurated by the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Labour by the end of November 2010;
  • A tripartite working group, with the OSH Directorate taking the lead role, to be constituted to consolidate the workshop recommendations and priorities into a draft national OSH programme.