Tanzania marks the World Day for Safety and Health 2015
Minister calls for tripartite national commitment and action in fostering lasting improvements in safety and health at workplaces “ Join in building a culture of prevention on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)”.
27 April 2015
Dar-es-Salaam (ILO News): This year on April 28, Tanzanian workers joined the rest of the world in urging governments, employers, workers to build a culture of prevention on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in line with this year’s theme.
The day promoted prevention of occupational accidents and diseases through an awareness raising campaign that focused on exposing the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities that occur worldwide.
The Chief Guest at the event, the Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Makongoro Mahanga, among others, reminded that creating an accident and hazard free working environment remains an enormous task as every year over 2.3 million workers die at work from an occupational injury or disease. This means that “… a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease every 15 seconds, and 153 workers suffering from a work-related accident every 15 seconds… these facts and figures are confirmed by costs incurred through loss of working time, compensations to injured workers or their families, interruption of production and medical expenses …” he stressed.
Hon. Mahanga insisted and called for tripartite national commitment and national action in fostering lasting improvements in safety and health at work, and that the government, employers and workers, together must create the partnerships needed in building a culture of prevention at our workplaces. He further called upon the workers and employers to promote a national occupational safety and health culture and ensuring healthy working environment through respecting of laws and regulations, strengthening labour inspection at work places and provision of training to both employers and workers.
On his part, the Director of ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, Mr. Alexio Musindo said that the ILO, in collaboration with its constituents - governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations consider occupational safety and health as one of the cornerstones of the broader goal of promoting decent work, both as a human right and as an integral part of a people-centred agenda for development, thus a key to protecting the life and health of all workers.
He therefore urged for improved recording and notification systems and data analysis, insisting that “ …We strongly advise the government and all other stakeholders to step up the inspection and enforcement systems which will ensure improved adherence to the regulatory framework and international norms Tanzania has subscribed to…”.
Mr. Musindo further called upon the government in collaboration with the social partners and the designated statutory tripartite consultative bodies to ratify and implement the OSH conventions, which seek to promote a preventative safety and health culture through national policy systems and programmes. Activities undertaken to mark the OSH week in Tanzania included, procession by workers and the public, issuing of OSH performance awards to winning companies, exhibitions and symposia for SMEs, the construction and mining sectors.
The day promoted prevention of occupational accidents and diseases through an awareness raising campaign that focused on exposing the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities that occur worldwide.
The Chief Guest at the event, the Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Makongoro Mahanga, among others, reminded that creating an accident and hazard free working environment remains an enormous task as every year over 2.3 million workers die at work from an occupational injury or disease. This means that “… a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease every 15 seconds, and 153 workers suffering from a work-related accident every 15 seconds… these facts and figures are confirmed by costs incurred through loss of working time, compensations to injured workers or their families, interruption of production and medical expenses …” he stressed.
Hon. Mahanga insisted and called for tripartite national commitment and national action in fostering lasting improvements in safety and health at work, and that the government, employers and workers, together must create the partnerships needed in building a culture of prevention at our workplaces. He further called upon the workers and employers to promote a national occupational safety and health culture and ensuring healthy working environment through respecting of laws and regulations, strengthening labour inspection at work places and provision of training to both employers and workers.
On his part, the Director of ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, Mr. Alexio Musindo said that the ILO, in collaboration with its constituents - governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations consider occupational safety and health as one of the cornerstones of the broader goal of promoting decent work, both as a human right and as an integral part of a people-centred agenda for development, thus a key to protecting the life and health of all workers.
He therefore urged for improved recording and notification systems and data analysis, insisting that “ …We strongly advise the government and all other stakeholders to step up the inspection and enforcement systems which will ensure improved adherence to the regulatory framework and international norms Tanzania has subscribed to…”.
Mr. Musindo further called upon the government in collaboration with the social partners and the designated statutory tripartite consultative bodies to ratify and implement the OSH conventions, which seek to promote a preventative safety and health culture through national policy systems and programmes. Activities undertaken to mark the OSH week in Tanzania included, procession by workers and the public, issuing of OSH performance awards to winning companies, exhibitions and symposia for SMEs, the construction and mining sectors.