New investors contributing to high workplace accidents

The ZCTU departmental head for safety and health, Nathan Banda, has attributed the increase in workplace accidents to the influx of new investors and reluctance by some employers to observe safety precautions.

Banda made the remarks ahead has attributed the increase in workplace accidents to the influx of new investors and reluctance by some employers to observe safety precautions.

Banda made the remarks ahead of the ZCTU National Day for Safety and Health commemorations to be held in all the six regions early this month under the theme; "Building and Maintaining an Occupational Safety and Health Preventive Culture and are coming at a time when workplace accidents are on the rise.

The commemorations are held on the 6th of June every year to promote workplace safety, while marking the country's worst workplace accident to date, the Hwange Kamandama mine shaft disaster which claimed 427 lives 43 years ago.

A close look at the mining accident trends will reveal that close to 80 percent of accidents occur in small mines, because of lack of expertise among small scale miners.

The conditions in the mining sector are so precarious to an extent of subjecting workers to work without adequate protective clothing.

January to December 2014 had Harare recording 15 fatalities out of the 13 accidents; Bulawayo had 12 accidents and 11 fatalities; Gweru with 9 accidents and 17 fatalities; Masvingo registered 1 accident and 1 fatality. Serious accidents from the same regions starting with Harare which recorded 30 accidents with 39 miners injured; whilst Bulawayo had 26 total number of accidents and 26 injuries. Gweru recorded 1 accident and 1 injury whereas Masvingo this time had 17 accidents and 17 injuries.

It is sad to note that most of these accidents as well as fatalities were as a result of fall of ground, falling down excavation, Gassing, Explosives, Electrocution, Machinery, Falling materials and Shaft Accidents like the Golden valley one which killed 7 Miners.

The first quarter of 2015 January to March has already recorded 10 accidents and 11 fatalities.

This is an indicator that the mining sector has been lagging behind in terms of Mining Safety promotion. It is time we strengthened the Public Private Sector partnerships. Scaling up of Awareness campaigns are key if we are to contribute towards the reduction of accidents in the Mining Industry.

"From 2009 we have realised a sizeable number of foreign investors who have established businesses in Zimbabwe and most of them are not keen on maintaining high safety standards and that has contributed a lot to the increase in workplace accidents. There are also other employers who are claiming to be facing viability challenges and in that instance safety is not prioritised," he said.

Banda said ZCTU would continue to work with all stakeholders towards the total eradication of workplace accidents.

Statistics from the Zimbabwe Occupational Safety and Health Council, for the period 2010 show that 4 410 injuries were recorded, with 90 of them fatal. The year 2011 recorded 4 111 accidents with 75 resulting into deaths, whilst 2012 had 5 141 serious mishaps, 107 of them fatal. Turning to 2013, 5 666 serious accidents were recorded, 76 of which were fatal. The year 2014 also recorded 5 491 accidents, 98 being fatalities, with a lost time injury frequency rate of 2.27.

From January this year to date, 1 420 serious occupational accidents have been recorded with 11 fatalities whilst 13 are pneumoconiosis cases.

Banda said the statistics were an indication of a huge challenge which required stakeholders to build and maintain an occupational safety and health preventive culture.

He said labour paced great value to the health and safety day commemorations as it provided workers with an opportunity to share their experiences in the management of occupational safety and health within various enterprises.

"The ZCTU together with other Social Partners developed a National Safety and Health Policy which was launched in 2014. Let us all enforce it both in the informal and formal workplace.

As the ZCTU commemorates this day it is demanding that government attends towards the recognition of all comrades living with disabilities and the call for enactment of regulations which promote their well-being, creation of safe and healthy work environment in the Mining sector, Ratification of ILO Convention 186 on 184 on Safety and health in agriculture and 189 on Domestic Workers," he said.

He added that the ZCTU was also lobbying for June 6 to be declared a national holiday and that the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) through the Ministry of Labour, should inject financial and human resources towards the commemorations.

The ZCTU Head of Health and Safety said because of the rampant precarious working conditions in the informal economy, the labour body was also demanding the speeding up of the formalization of the informal economy.

He said there was also need for a critical look into the pensions which lost value, leaving workers to retire without any monthly pay-outs; and to urgently set up of a Commission of enquiry, which was long overdue. Zimbabwe could be one of the Countries that has recorded the worst mine disaster after the Benxihu (Honkeiko) Colliery (coal mine) disaster in China On the 26th of April, 1942 in which 1,549 miners were killed.

A look at the Global mining accident trends will reveal that close to 80 percent of accidents occur in small mines, because of lack of expertise among small scale miners.

The conditions in the mining sector are so precarious to an extent of subjecting workers to work without adequate protective clothing. On the 13th of May, 2014, Soma mine disaster in Turkey, led to the death of 301 miners..