News / National
Deputy Minister Matangaidze calls for preventative OSH culture
01 Oct 2015 at 09:34hrs | Views
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Tapiwanashe Matangaidze on Wednesday called on National Safety and Health at Work Conference delegates to build a preventative Occupational Safety and Health culture to reduce the number of accidents at work.
Opening this year's National Conference on Safety and Health at Work (SHAW) at the Rainbow Towers in Harare, he said a preventative culture should become part of the nation's culture. He urged conference delegates to learn from the past as well as the present and build from there.
"The sad scenario from our own occupational safety and health performance in Zimbabwe is that in 2014 we recorded a total of 5 491 work-related accidents, 98 of which were fatal.
"Our current national injury frequency rate stands at 2,27, a slight but not great improvement from 2,34 in 2014.
"Although this is commendable compared to our target to keep it below three, we should not forget that the best performers have an injury frequency rate of less than one," he said.
"It is undoubtedly a daunting task but something that can be achieved through the concerted efforts and cooperation of all the tripartite parties," he said.
Deputy Minister Matangaidze said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) advocated a systems approach to managing safety and health at work. He said many countries, Zimbabwe included, concurred with this view.
He said his ministry maintained an interest in providing the necessary legislative framework and policy formulation for the establishment and sustenance of comprehensive and beneficial occupational safety and health management systems.
He called on corporate bodies to work on the prevention of accidents. He urged them to adopt systems consistent with their level of development.
"I urge you corporates to make concerted efforts in preventing occupational accidents, as workers, their families, enterprises, society and our public economy performance can only stand to benefit," he said.
Mr Matangaidze commended the National Social Security Authority for the introduction of a mobile clinic in July. He said the mobile clinic could greatly enhance the monitoring of pneumoconiosis and other occupational diseases.
He stressed that a culture of safety and health management had to be cultivated and nurtured.
"Human life and safe production should be valued. These values need to be instilled in us. They should become part of our social strata," he said.
The SHAW conference is held every year over three days, hosted by the National Social Security Authority. The theme of this year's conference is "Building and Maintaining an Occupational Safety and Health Preventive Culture'.
Welcoming delegates to the annual conference NSSA board chairman Robin Vela congratulated companies that have done well in issues of occupational safety and health and encouraged them to improve further.
"Do your best despite the economic challenges," he told the conference.
Opening this year's National Conference on Safety and Health at Work (SHAW) at the Rainbow Towers in Harare, he said a preventative culture should become part of the nation's culture. He urged conference delegates to learn from the past as well as the present and build from there.
"The sad scenario from our own occupational safety and health performance in Zimbabwe is that in 2014 we recorded a total of 5 491 work-related accidents, 98 of which were fatal.
"Our current national injury frequency rate stands at 2,27, a slight but not great improvement from 2,34 in 2014.
"Although this is commendable compared to our target to keep it below three, we should not forget that the best performers have an injury frequency rate of less than one," he said.
"It is undoubtedly a daunting task but something that can be achieved through the concerted efforts and cooperation of all the tripartite parties," he said.
Deputy Minister Matangaidze said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) advocated a systems approach to managing safety and health at work. He said many countries, Zimbabwe included, concurred with this view.
He said his ministry maintained an interest in providing the necessary legislative framework and policy formulation for the establishment and sustenance of comprehensive and beneficial occupational safety and health management systems.
He called on corporate bodies to work on the prevention of accidents. He urged them to adopt systems consistent with their level of development.
"I urge you corporates to make concerted efforts in preventing occupational accidents, as workers, their families, enterprises, society and our public economy performance can only stand to benefit," he said.
He stressed that a culture of safety and health management had to be cultivated and nurtured.
"Human life and safe production should be valued. These values need to be instilled in us. They should become part of our social strata," he said.
The SHAW conference is held every year over three days, hosted by the National Social Security Authority. The theme of this year's conference is "Building and Maintaining an Occupational Safety and Health Preventive Culture'.
Welcoming delegates to the annual conference NSSA board chairman Robin Vela congratulated companies that have done well in issues of occupational safety and health and encouraged them to improve further.
"Do your best despite the economic challenges," he told the conference.
Source - Agencies
