Workplace deaths, injuries worry Govt

GOVERNMENT is concerned with the increase in the number of deaths and injuries at workplaces,

Seventy deaths were recorded last year, up from 65 in 2017. A total of 5 965 injuries were recorded in 2018, compared with 5 007 in 2017.

This was said on Wednesday by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Sekai Nzenza at the Engineers’ Safety Conference organised by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).

In a speech read on her behalf by secretary in her ministry Dr Judith Kateera, Minister Nzenza said mining, agriculture, forestry, basic and fabricated metal production, transport, storage and manufacturing were the leading sectors causing these accidents.

She said safety innovations at design stage of any project were important as poor design increased hazards, ensuring continuation and repetition of injury-causing incidents.

“Over the past years when accidents happened, we would rush to blame up to 90 percent of them on human behaviour or error,” she said.

“We conveniently forgot that to attain zero harm, we needed to start at the beginning, which is at the design stage.

“Design is a broad-reaching term, including design of products, equipment and plant of all types, processes and the constructed infrastructure.

“Failure to recognise how design is contributing to hazard proliferation unfairly exonerates those responsible for plant design, manufacture, purchase as well as the regulators.”

Minister Nzenza singled out black spots at the Kuwadzana, Ruwa rail road level crossings and steep descents on the Boterekwa, Christmas Pass and Muzarabani escarpment roads.

“Government, and Zimbabwe Occupational NSSA Safety and Health Council (ZOSHC) all encourage industry to undertake self-regulation by adopting international best engineering practices for the good of industry, the labour force and our country,” she said.

“As we implement the Transitional Stabilisation Programme 2018-2020, we need to enhance a culture that eliminates loss of life, economic losses, environmental disasters and a culture that minimises or eliminates working days that potentially get lost due to work-related illnesses.”

board member Dr Priscilla Mujuru said NSSA Zimbabwean workplaces were prone to occupational safety and health challenges that caused loss and grief over the past years.

“To mitigate, is implementing various strategies NSSA intended to bring to an end occupational accidents, diseases and fatalities,” she said.

“Compliance with national occupational safety and health laws is part of good engineering practice.”