2 Million Of Accidents At Work Result In Death Every Year

An outcry by the international community for concerted efforts worldwide to reduce the death rate and sufferings facing mankind, currently recorded at over 2 million annual deaths worldwide, due to preventable accidents and diseases caused in the workplace must be quickly resolved on international levels.

Tanzania being the host of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office for the East African region that comprises Kenya, Somalia and Uganda has also been at a forefront in ensuring that effective mechanism is put in place for safety and health of workers at work places.

During the recent marking of World Safety and Health Day in Mbeya Region, both the government and ILO underscored the importance of conducive working environment at work places.

ILO East Africa Regional Director Jurgen Schwettmann said that there was a need for focusing international attention on the magnitude of the problem and actions to adhere to essentials of Occupational Safety and Health at work (OSH).

In his speech the Deputy Minister for Labour, Employment and Youth Development, Hezekiah Chibulunje said a national policy on sound safety and health at work places was in the offing in line with the Government action to ensure compliance to its efforts for ratification of the ILO Convention 187 on Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health which was passed in 2006.

He was speaking at the climax of marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work in Mbeya region where the event took place nationally.

Deputy Minister Chibulunje said the policy has been designed in line with the government's determination to ensure compliance to the implementation of the ILO Convention 187 on Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health.

Celebrations on the WSHD involve also the prize giving to winners for excellent performance that guarantees safety and health for workers at different work places.

Recommendations and use of codes of practice and translating them into national laws and legislations should be among the country priorities as this will be a clear indication of our commitment towards safer workplaces for improved productivity Deputy Minister Chibulunje stated.

On his part, the Director of the ILO East Africa region comprising of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia, Jurgen Schwettmann, reiterated on the need for global campaign for promotion of occupational safety and health at workplaces underscoring the need to accord it first priority.

He said workers efficiency in their work depended on safety and health for registering greater performance, adding without workers being in sound health and safety they could not deliver optimum diligence and efficiency.

The ILO Director said there were still challenges which differ in terms of magnitude and specifications from one region of the globe to the other.

Challenges facing the East African region are similar to those facing other developing countries but they only differ in their magnitude depending on type of activities, he said

Both ILO and the government have noted that 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 places makes African workers particularly prone to work related diseases and accidents.

For instance it is argued that workers in less economically developed countries are more prone to sufferings 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.

To ensure the East African region makes a breakthrough to putting its house in order with regard to safety and health at work, it was revealed that: There are on-going partnership initiatives involving ILO and the UN System as a whole with partners and constituents in the region.