Teens working in ‘dangerous’ occupations
TEENAGERS are being employed “illegally and in dangerous places” an occupational health and safety expert said following the death of a boy at a mechanic’s garage last week.
Mahmut Gül, 15, died when the engine of an old car he was working under fell on top him. The owner of the Güzelyurtregion garage where the incident occurred was arrested.
Occupational Health and Safety Professionals Association (İŞG-BİR) President Güvenç Yüksel said the part of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Law that states that “young people between the ages of 15 and 18 cannot be employed in dangerous” jobs is regularly ignored.
Mr Yüksel said that Mahmut was not a “registered employee” and pointed out that there are many workplaces employing unregistered workers in the TRNC.
“We have seen once again how important it is that the mandatory OHS laws and legal regulations we insist upon . . . are implemented in all sectors,” he said.
“We see and hear that there are many people who do not have insurance and work permits. . . There also many foreign nationals who come to North Cyprus as university students but then work in different sectors without being registered.”
Mr Yüksel pointed out that although a “Risk Assessment Report” is required by law, many employers are unaware of this.
“Because occupational accidents are usually in the construction sector and inspections are mostly carried out in this field, many places such as butchers, factories, repair shops or workshops don’t know that a Risk Assessment Report is mandatory in places like this,” he said.
Staff, employers and the state should take “serious safety measures regarding working conditions in their workplaces” and the most “effective preventive approach is to train employees”, he noted.
In addition, Mr Yüksel said that the Risk Assessment Report exists not only to prevent work accidents but also to detect occupational illnesses and noted that the report ensures that the necessary precautions are taken.
“The Labour Ministry should inform employers and ensure necessary inspections in all areas and remind them of the legal sanctions,” he said.
Mr Yüksel added that “eight to 12 people” lose their lives in preventable workplace accidents in the TRNC every year.
Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union’s human rights and equality secretary Erdoğan Emiroğulları said that child workers are “increasing in the country” and that “abuse and neglect are being concealed”.
“The responsible state institutions should not hide,” he said. “If a child doesn’t keep up with his education, is forced to work to support his family and loses his life, that is the shame of this country.”
He added: “The Education Minister, Labour Minister and other social institutions related to children are as responsible for this tragic event as anyone else and we will follow up on their accountability.”
Mahmut Kanber, chairman of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Shopkeepers and Artisans, said that “no lessons have been learned” from workplace accidents that have been “occurring for decades” and that no legal regulations have been made in this regard.
He called on business owners to “take action” so that their employees are “aware of their responsibilities in terms of occupational health and safety”.
“When families send their children to any job in the summer or at other times, they should . . . be able to question their children’s responsibilities at work and whether their workplaces are registered,” he said.