|
Team up for safety and health at work
2008-04-28 09:18:16
By Michael Haonga
``Together we prevail divided we perish`` cautions the ILO East Africa Region Director, Jurgen Schwettmann in his appeal as people the world over mark today`s World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) East Africa Region has called for concerted efforts to raise effective awareness to save lives amid latest ILO estimates that over 2 million people die annually due to preventable accidents and diseases at work places.
Question: What is the significance of the ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work?
Answer: The issue of safety and health at work took a special dimension in the history of the International Labour Organization (ILO) since it was established in 1919.
Right from its early beginning occupational safety and health have been at the heart of the ILO`s work.
Since then, the International Labour Conference has adopted a number of Conventions and Recommendations aiming at improving the safety and health of workers in different industries and occupations.
In 2003 the concern was sanctioned by the establishment of a greater awareness for safety and health at work which was celebrated every year on April 28.
Since 2003 a number of themes have characterized the World Day for Safety and Health at Work marking.
For instance, in 2004 the theme was on \"Creating and Sustaining a Preventive Safety and Health Culture`` followed in 2005 by ``Creating and Sustaining a Preventive Safety and Health Culture`` whereas in 2006 it was on`` Decent Work- Save Work -HIV/AIDS`` and last year it was on ``Safe and Healthy Workplaces - Making Work a Reality`` and this year the theme is ``Managing Risk in the Work Environment``.
The objective in all these ILO World Day themes is directed at promoting a culture of Safety and Health at Work to avoid loss of lives of millions of workers who die annually partly due to preventable work related diseases and accidents.
Q: What is the ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work slogan on April 28, this year?
A: On April 28, 2008 the ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work slogan is ``Managing Risk in the Work Environment``.
Just as in previous years, there will be tripartite awareness raising events underscoring the significance of adhering to measures for safety and health at work as an indispensable norm to reduce workers’ death rate and loss of property and injuries.
Q: In as nutshell what are some of the challenges facing the ILO East Africa countries - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia on matters pertaining to Safety and Health at Work?
A: These challenges are similar to those facing other developing countries differing in magnitude depending on type of activities.
The magnitude of poverty associated with limited choice of means to earn a living, coupled with limited degree of awareness on the dangers posed by non-adherence to safety and health at work makes African workers particularly prone to work related diseases and accidents.
It could be said that workers in less economically developed countries are more prone to suffering and pollution effects than workers in countries which are comparatively more developed with easy access to appropriate and timely treatment, as well as precautionary pre-accident measures.
Q: What are some of the ILO and tripartite social partners` achievements made in effecting adherence to prerequisites of safety and health at work and social protection in general in Tanzania?
A: There are on-going partnership initiatives involving ILO and the UN System as whole with partners and constituents (Governments, employers and workers) in the East Africa region, especially in all the four countries.
The partnership initiatives are precisely dealing with matters pertaining to systematic awareness raising on safety and health at work activities.
The ILO has played a pivotal role through a number of measures such as inclusion of social protection and security activities in its decent Work Country programmes in East Africa.
The 95 International Labour Conference held in June, 2006, adopted a new Promotional Framework Convention on Occupational Safety and Health (Conv.No.167) and its accompanying Recommendation (Recom.No.197).
The Convention is aimed at promoting continuous improvement of occupational safety and health to prevent occupational injuries, diseases and deaths, through development of a national policy, systems and appropriate programmes.
It calls for active steps to be taken towards achieving progressively a safe and healthy working environment through a national system and national programmes on occupational safety and health by taking into account the principles set out in the relevant Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) instruments.
The efforts being put by the Government and its partners in social protection reforms in the country are commendable.
Among the achievements is the passing of the recent Social Security Act (2008) by the Tanzania Parliament, on the establishment of the Social Security Regulatory Authority.
This is a step ahead towards having more realistic social protection measures in the country which we consider as key to achieving the decent Work Agenda.
Q: What is your appeal to ILO EA member countries?
A: They should strive to translate the World Day for Safety and Health at work into a reality in the work places either in public or private enterprise through working together with all stakeholders.
Training on safety and health, ratification and implementation of OSH related ILO Conventions and recommendations.
Use of codes of practice and translating them into national laws and legislations should be among the country`s priorities as this will be a clear indication of our commitment towards safer workplaces for improved productivity.
Let us all be committed as partners in development and implementation of the appeal contained in the World Day for Safety and Health at Work to ensure compliance to it so that the theme becomes a reality at any working place just as the dictum cautions that \"Together we prevail divided we perish\".
|
