Workplace safety matters

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health  and rights of people at work.

Every workplace has to institute measures to maintain a hazard-free environment by exercising strict safety and health practices at the workplace.

While many view occupational health and safety as an extra burden or cost to their operations, it adds value to your organisation and demonstrates goodwill to protect the health of employees and clients.

The main objective is not to incur more costs but to retain good health and safety of employees that will in return be more productive.

The money the employer would have spent on ill-health, compensation costs, court proceedings and absenteeism is greatly reduced once you have a working safety and health system.

Even non-governmental organisations, construction firms, private companies, hospitals, factories and agricultural companies should incorporate safety in their activities and procedures.

Any workplace should have safety provisions in place so that their employees, communities and environment are not at risk of being harmed by their activities, but rather they are enhanced and improved.

But little do most employees in Malawi know what is expected of their employers to guarantee their safety at the workplace.

This might be the case because the field of occupational safety and health is not widely recognised though the Safety and Health Directorate has been in existence for so many years in the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development.

Most workers are subjected to hazardous conditions that pose a risk to their safety.

It is important that workers should know the obligations of their employers towards their own safety.

The employees should also uphold their duties towards achieving a safe working environment.

To begin with, every employer should be conversant with their duties as per the requirement of the occupational safety, health and welfare act of Malawi laws of 1997.

The Labour Act contains provisions that are meant to assist in ensuring and upholding a safe and healthy working environment.

Employers should make provisions that every employee is given enough training or induction of what he or she is expected to do.

They should also be given appropriate protective clothing in relation to their jobs.

Personal protective equipment can vary depending on the job engaged.

But the minimum safety requirement is: working suit (an overall or jacket and pair of trousers) and safety boots. Other jobs require special wear to protect eyes, ears, head and hands.

Once these personal protective equipment is issued to the workforce, it is the responsibility of the workers to properly use them and maintain them in good condition at all times.

It is within the rights of the employees to refuse work that will jeopardise their health.

Provision of protective wear is just a step towards ensuring the safety and health of the persons that are employed in various workplaces.

I implore the employers to ensure that their workforce is protected at all times.

Employees also have a duty to work in a safe and hazard-free environment through liaising with their line managers to improve workplace safety.

Safety should be a priority in whatever employees and employers do.

Let us work together to improve the safety and health of the Malawian workforce by upholding safety and health practices and standards at all times.