Nssa annual national conference ends on a high note

THE 60th National Social Security Authority (NSSA) annual national conference on safety and health at work (SHAW) ended on a high note in Victoria Falls on Friday amid calls for enhanced promotion of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) to ensure zero harm at the workplace.

The Government is playing its part by crafting a new Occupational Safety Bill that will help domesticate some International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and ratify them while the crafting of an OSH Bill is underway.

OSH experts from a cross-section of the economy gathered for the three-day conference that ended with the conferment of awards to organisations and individuals that distinguished themselves in prioritising the safety and health of workers at the workplace.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Cde July Moyo, officiated at the event’s opening and closing ceremonies where he reiterated the call for entrenching safety and health standards at the workplace so as to have a healthy workforce, which is critical to the attainment of the country’s development agenda.

Minister July Moyo

Among the resolutions of the conference was the need for increased promotion of mental health programmes at the workplace, the need to develop an OSH profile information system in accordance with guidelines of ILO so that the Zimbabwean OSH system is available to stakeholders and promotion of OSH in the informal sector.

Further calls were made for the ratification of the ILO Convention 187 on the promotional framework of occupational safety and health in view of the fact that this convention alongside Convention 155 is now fundamental.

Delegates also resolved to consider OSH penalties, especially in view of the impending new OSH Act, and continued sharing of good OSH practices from various sectors and companies so that these can be shared at future editions of SHAW conferences.

Delegates were exposed to exemplary OSH good practices, the development of a resilient sustainable OSH system, OSH laws and standards, mental health at the workplace and construction safety

The conference was also significant in that delegates benefited from occupational safety and health experiences from other nations such as Tanzania, Turkey and Trinidad and Tobago.

In his remarks, Minister Moyo commended the conference organisers, NSSA, saying the event was well structured to entrench a mindset and culture of zero harm among all social partners.

“I urge you to operationalise these outcomes so that we realise progress on improved OSH conditions across all sectors of the economy.

“We appreciate the organizations that have embraced the fundamental principle that a safe and healthy work environment is not just a privilege but a right and ensuring well-being of workers,” he said.

Minister Moyo said the Government has ratified six major OSH conventions including fundamental Convection 155 on OSH, Convention 161 on occupational health services and Convention 170 on safety in the use of chemicals.

Plans are already underway to ratify one other fundamental convention 187 on the promotional framework of OSH.

“These conventions, among others, are important OSH instruments to provide robust guidance on sustainable improvements towards the realisation of safe and healthy work environments,” said Minister Moyo.

“The Government has also found it fit to ensure that the provisions of these Conventions find expression in the new OSH Bill that is expected to become law in the near future.

“The Government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the Bill quickly moves up the approval process. I am happy there is convergence by social partners on all provisions within the Bill. I urge all of us to have deeper understanding of the provision of the OSH Policy Bill and ILO Conventions and their recommendations as the Government commits itself to ensure that all these instruments are implemented fully both at law and in practice, said Minister Moyo.

To that end, he said, organizations are encouraged to incorporate the provisions of these instruments in their organizational OSH governance systems such that even as the new law comes into effect, organisations will be well ahead of the expectations of the Government.

This will lead to the development of an effective national OSH system that encompasses making effective OSH laws, systems of inspection and programmes to ensure safe healthy work environments.

Meanwhile, employees and employers have a responsibility to ensure the creation of safe and healthy working environments and to participate in the implementation of preventive measures.

As the Government scales up the development of OSH legislation, it is important to note that some key regulations that are envisaged to support the new OSH Bill include Major Hazard Installation Regulation, Control of Chemical Agents Hazardous to Health Regulation, Control of Exposure to Lead Regulation and Control of Exposure to Asbestos Regulation, said Minister Moyo.

This year’s conference ran under the theme: Safe and healthy work environment: A fundamental principle and right at work. —chronicle