SHAW conference resolves to involve informal sector in OSH

The Safety and Health at Work (SHAW) Conference, which is hosted each year by the National Social Security Authority, ended on Friday with a resolution to involve the informal sector in occupational safety and health (OSH) matters.

Delegates agreed that, in the light of the growth in the informal sector, there was need to strengthen occupational safety and health (OSH) in that sector.

The resolution to involve the informal sector in OSH matters was adopted after one delegate pointed out the growth in the sector and the interest that it was creating.

"The international community is interested in the informal sector and so should NSSA be, by organising something for them.

"NSSA should put some sort of effort into including the informal sector and come up with a formal way to engage the informal sector," the delegate said.

It was agreed that NSSA should organise workshops specifically for people in the informal sector.  

It was also suggested that the NSSA inspectorate should increase its scope and interact with this sector.

The resolution on the informal sector was one of a number adopted at the end of the conference, which this year was held under the theme ‘Building and Maintaining an Occupational Safety and Health Preventive Culture'.

The conference also resolved that a proposed National Occupational Safety and Health Bill should be finalised.

The proposed Bill would encourage self-regulation by employers through the adoption of a systems approach to managing safety and health at work.

Another resolution that was passed at the conference was that NSSA should conduct training on psychosocial stresses aimed at nurses and industries where psychosocial stress was common.

The conference invited NSSA to engage the Ministry of Health and Child Care on reducing the pressure on nurses who were said to be overworked, which could endanger patients.

This was in the light of a presentation at the conference on ‘Psychosocial Effects of Locum Among General Nurses: The Case of Gwanda Provincial Hospital' that was given by Ms Rachel Ndebele, a Student Advisor at the Zimbabwe Open University.

NSSA acting director of Occupational Safety and Health Dr Betty Nyereyegona reported that two resolutions made at last year's conference were at an advanced stage of implementation.

One of last year's resolutions was that a central disposal site for chemical waste and expired chemicals should be established in Zimbabwe, in the light of the dangers and hazards posed by chemicals.

The other was that NSSA should establish a programme to improve on the safe use of agro chemicals.

Dr Nyereyegona said the responsibility for establishing a central disposal site for chemical waste and expired chemicals had been passed onto the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).