Occupational Safety and Health

The ILO DWT/CO Pretoria provided support to the Eswatini Ministry of Labour and Social Security towards Course on Occupational Safety and Heath Training and COVID-19. Partnering with University of Eswatini, the training was facilitated and hosted by the University for a period of 10 days.
The course targeted unemployed graduates, out of 300 applicants, 40 participants were selected to participate in the course.

This intervention was aimed at improving occupational health and safety conditions in workplaces. Specific objectives of the course were:

To enhance the understanding of responsibilities for upholding health and safety by both the employer and the employee. To discuss safety measures and procedures that are required to be in place.
A clear understanding of the country health and safety legislation, in conjunction with WHO and ILO COVID-19 guidelines.
Conducting monitoring and evaluation (M&E) with a view to enhancing the participants’ skills and understanding towards getting them ready to be foot soldiers in the enforcement of safety and health at workplaces in the era of COVID-19.

It was also important for the participants of the course were to acquaint with the concepts of health and safety at work including their importance, to describe work-related hazards that commonly cause accidents and ill-health particularly in the COVID- 19 era.

Topics covered in the course included:
1. COVID-19 (Epidemiology, pathophysiology and response);
2. Application of Health and Safety Practice on COVID-19;
3. Principles of Occupational health and Safety;
4. Occupational Hygiene;
5. Risk assessment and management;
6. Toxicology;
7. Acoustics and health;
8. The Human Environment;
9. Disaster Management and Response;
10. Environmental pollution management;
11. Ethics in Health and Safety;
12. Principles of health and safety law;
13. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines;
14. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Guidelines;
15. In-country Guidelines;
16. Conflict management;
17. Investigations - Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); and
18. Report writing.

Eswatini Ministry of Labour and Social Security thanked the ILO for providing financial Support towards the course, as well as the University of Eswatini for availing themselves and their facilities to ensure the course takes place. The ILO proposed that the Ministry avail some of the participants and the already in-service officers for a second phase virtual session.