MARTIN MAWAYA
MASVINGO- National Social Security Authority (NSSA) says government should provide a comprehensive national framework that ensure compliance, safe and healthy working environment for workers.
The call was made by NSSA acting general manager Charles Shava ahead of this year’s World Day for Safety to be celebrated on the 28th of April under the theme “Safe and Healthy work Environment: A Fundamental Principle and Rights at Work” in Masvingo.
The day was set aside globally to promote the prevention of occupational accidents, injuries and ill- health.
Shava said the campaign is to raise awareness and bring national and international attention to focus on the problems of work-related accidents, injuries and death.
“The World Day for Safety and Health, emphasising on the importance of preventing occupational accidents, injuries and diseases under pinned by ILO strong traditional legacy of tripartism and social dialogue.
“Such commemorations have always been a key component of the global strategy on OSH wherein all tripartite arrangements have a responsibility for stopping death and disabling injuries due to work”.
Hence “Government has the responsibility to provide a national system that include making OSH laws, systems of inspection to ensure compliance with the applicable legislation as well as programmes to ensure safe and healthy work environments from which workers remain employable and enterprises blossom and flourish,” he said.
Shava added that employers also have the responsibility to ensure the creation of safe and healthy work environments, while workers are responsible for working safely, protecting themselves and others by participating in the implementation of preventive measures.
He said as the country is gearing up towards the upper middle-income status by 2030 and make the nation highly competitive on a global scale, there is need to create safe and healthy work environments around which the country’s productivity as a nation hinges.
