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Minister Mupfumira

Abigail Mawonde Herald Correspondent
At least 14 people died while 1 357 were injured at the workplace between January and March this year, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira, has said.

Minister Mupfumira expressed concern at the workplace deaths during commemorations to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work in Harare yesterday.

“In our local context, the records being maintained by NSSA indicate that for the period January and March 2016; 1 357 lost time workplace injuries have already been recorded, with 14 being fatal,” she said.

Minister Mupfumira said this translated to four or more people dying every month at the workplace.

“An overview of the past three years shows that in the year 2013 there were 5 666 serious injuries with 76 fatalities.

“The year 2014 experienced 5 736 serious injuries and 106 fatalities. In 2015 there were 5 380 serious injuries of which 54 were fatalities,” she said.

National Social Security Authority (NSSA) acting general manager Mr Hashmon Matemera said the statistics were unacceptable.

“Over the past few years the nation has seen unacceptably high incidences of occupational injuries, diseases and fatalities.

“At our Workers Compensation Rehabilitation Centre we continue to see every year heads of households, breadwinners for their families losing their livelihood as they get confined to wheelchairs and lose their limbs.

“In 2015 and 2016, we added to our register of grossly disabled pensioners eight paraplegics and quadriplegics. This is unacceptable,” he said.

Mr Matemera blamed the situation to workplace stress.

“It is sad that the carnage in the workplace is increasing everyday and yet we know that most, if not all occupational accidents and diseases are preventable.”

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), over 313 million workers suffer non-fatal occupational injuries each year, translating to 860 000 people injured daily at the workplace.