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Andrew Muvishi and Audrey Rundofa
Government has encouraged stakeholders to ensure that occupational safety and health management systems are ingrained within the industries to promote hazardous free working environments.

Speaking at the engineers’ safety and health workshop in Harare yesterday, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye said the number of work-related injuries and deaths remained very high, which was worrying.

“If we value occupational safety and health of our employees, we should strive to eradicate occupational injury,” she said. “As safety and health gatekeepers, failure on your part results in catastrophic consequences on the precious human lives.”

Minister Kagonye said Government was dedicated to the provision of decent work for all works. “In line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, we are committed to ensure that no employee should get injured or die due to occupational accidents or diseases,” she said. “Safety and Health is everyone’s right.

“Recently, my ministry, together with NSSA joined the ‘Vision Zero’ Strategy Global Campaign which is being spearheaded by the international social security association (ISSA).”

“The campaign is aimed at curbing work-related accidents, injuries, diseases and fatalities in order to attain zero occupational injuries, diseases and fatalities at the workplace.”

Acting NSSA board chairperson Mrs Delphine Tomana said the campaign would go a long way in ensuring that employees in all sectors of the economy were protected from various hazards associated with operations in their various areas of work.