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Kudakwashe Pembere Herald Reporter
Government has urged captains of industry to observe high standard safety and health practices at workplaces to curb the high levels of occupational accidents.Addressing delegates at the Safety and Health at Work (SHAW) awards hosted by the National Social Security Authority in Harare on Friday, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche said his ministry was concerned with the rate at which safety standards were going down.

“The deteriorating safety standards at the workplace are a big concern to Government,” he said. “The rate at which occupational accidents in workplaces are happening is disturbing. The number of workplace accidents in the country has remained exceptionally high for an economy that has an average capacity utilisation of 39,7 percent.

“I urge you all to always embrace a culture of prevention in safety and health. Let us all remember to walk the talk as we go back to our various work stations. I need not emphasise the importance of zero tolerance to occupational accidents in our industries.”

Minister Goche said Government needed to carry out thorough consultative and investigative work with employers, while compelling them to ensure safety for employees.

He said Government was working on the Occupational Safety and Health Bill to harmonise laws covering health and safety to curb occupational accidents. Minister Goche commended the research papers received by delegates at the SHAW conference which reflected a number of crucial areas on safety and health.

Statistics show that occupational accidents fell to 3 241 in the first seven months of 2013 from 3 621 during the same period last year, while workplace deaths declined from 63 to 49. NSSA director for Occupational Health and Safety Mr Rodgers Dhliwayo said the deaths were still high.

“Our main goal is to try and achieve a preventive culture and secondly we want to promote research in occupational safety and get answers to why accidents keep recurring despite safety measures in place,” he said.

Some companies scooped prizes for promoting health and safety standards at their workplaces at the NSSA awards function.
Winners were selected from NSSA’s five regions of Mashonaland, Matabeleland, Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo.

The companies were awarded sectoral, provincial and national awards which were sub-categorised in agriculture and forestry, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, commerce and distribution and construction.

In the mining and quarrying category, the gold sectoral award for Mashonaland went to Ngwarati Mine (Zimplats), while the Matabeleland winner in the same category was How Mine and Redwing Mine scooped gold for Manicaland. Total Zimbabwe came first in the commerce and distribution category for the Mashonaland region, while Delta Transport Beitbridge scooped the first prize for the Matabeleland region.

In the same category, Total Zimbabwe took the gold shield for Manicaland. In construction there were only two gold shield winners — Masimba Construction from Mashonaland and Bitumen Construction Services from Matabeleland.

Other companies which scooped first prizes in different categories were Lafarge Zimbabwe, Zimasco Kwekwe Division, Zimbabwe Power Company, Charter Sawmill, Ngwarati Mine, How Mine, Mashonaland Tobacco Company and Murowa Diamonds.

The best research paper award went to Midlands State University.