'Workplace injuries can be eliminated,' says Minister Goche

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche on Friday urged businesses to embrace a culture of accident and disease prevention.

Addressing delegates at the National Conference on Safety and Health at Work Awards Dinner at Rainbow Towers he encouraged them not to tolerate any workplace injury.

"I encourage you all to always embrace a culture of prevention in safety and health," he said, adding that it was important that there be "zero tolerance to harm in our industries".

"Zero harm is achievable," he said.

The conference and the safety awards dinner are held every year by the National Social Security Authority.  The theme of this year's conference was 'Promoting a Preventive Culture for Occupational Accidents and Diseases'.

The minister said he had been happy to note that research papers presented during the conference dealt with crucial aspects of safety and health, such as the importance of human behaviour in accident causation, creation of a sustainable preventive culture and the gender dimension in safety and health.

Congratulating award winners, he urged them to continue to be beacons of excellence in safety and health.

"As a country we need such flag bearers. Safety and health is a national issue and in this regard our desire as a ministry is to have all of us strive for excellence in safety and health," he said.

He challenged organisations that had not won any of the safety and health at work awards to scrutinise their work systems and aim to perform better next year.

Welcoming guests to the awards dinner, NSSA general manager James Matiza said he hoped the knowledge that delegates acquired during the three-day conference would be of use to their organisations.

"It is my sincere hope that the conference was a professionally rewarding one for all of us.

"It is my hope too that the knowledge you have acquired during these three days shall be of use to your organisations as we seek to build and consolidate a preventive culture in industry.

Mr Matiza said occupational accidents were preventable and losing a life was unacceptable.

"May I challenge you to always remember that losing one life through occupational accidents is simply unacceptable.

"Occupational accidents are preventable and in this regard there are no valid grounds to justify losing a life while at work," he said.

The Minister presented prizes to companies judged to have been the best when it came to safety and health practices. There were prizes for safety and health within certain sectors as well as provincial and national prizes.

This year there was also a prize for the best research paper, which went to Ms Ruth Mubanga and Mr Cleopas Njerekai, lecturers at Midlands State University, for their research paper on the Prevalence and Management of Occupational Stress in a Distressed Economy of Zimbabwe.

Second prize in the best research paper category went to Ms Rujeko Masike and Mrs Bupe Mwanza, lecturers at the Harare Institute of Technology for their paper on the Impact of Gender Sensitivity in Occupational Safety and Health Management.

The third prize went to Ms Sipho Mloyie, pharmacy manager at the Avenues Clinic in Harare, for her paper on Cause and Effect of Knowledge in Occupational Safety and Health of Laundry Staff at a Large Clinic in Harare.

The Premier Shield, the top national prize, went to Ngwarati Mine. How Mine took silver in this category and Mupfuti Mine, which is a Zimplats mine, came third.

The prize for the most improved company in safety and health went to Mashonaland Tobacco. The 3MPPC/E Shield went to Murowa Diamonds and the Civil Engineering Contractors award went to Bitumen Construction Services. The EMCOZ Shield was won by Zimplats Ngwarati Mine.

In the mining and quarrying sector, Zimplats mines took all three prizes in Mashonaland, with Ngwarati Mine coming first, Mupfuti Mine coming second and Bimha Mine taking third place.

In Matebeleland How Mine came first and Vubachikwe Mine second, while in Manicaland Redwing Mine took gold, Dorowa Minerals silver and Marange Resources bronze. In Masvingo province Mimosa Mine was given the gold award.

In commerce and distribution in Mashonaland, Total Zimbabwe took top position followed by Mashonaland Tobacco, with Tobacco Processors Zimbabwe in third place.

In the construction sector Masimba Construction was the Mashonaland winner, while Bitumen Construction Services won in Matebeleland. There were no prize winners in this sector in other provinces.

In the manufacturing sector the winner in Mashonaland was Lafarge Zimbabwe, followed by Zimphos, with BOC Gases coming third. In Matebeleland the manufacturing winner was ZPC, followed by Datlabs, with Chibuku Brewery coming third.

Zimasco Kwekwe Division won the top prize in the Midlands in the manufacturing sector followed by Haggie Rand Kwekwe. Charter Sawmill was the winner in this category in Manicaland and Delta Beverages the winner in Masvingo province.

The top provincial award for Mashonaland went to Zimplats Ngwarati Mine, followed by Zimplats Mupfuti Mine, with Lafarge Zimbabwe coming third.

In Matebleleand the top provincial winner was How Mine, followed by Vubachikwe Mine in second place and Bitumen Construction Services in third place.

Zimasco Kwekwe Division won the top provincial prize in the Midlands, followed by Haggie Rand Kwekwe, while Mimosa Mine took top position in Masvingo followed by Delta Beverages.

In Manicaland Total Zimbabwe took gold, ZETDC Eastern Region silver and Redwing Mine bronze.