Let’s ensure safety at the workplace

The world marked Occupational Health and Safety Day last Tuesday on the theme: “Join in building the culture of prevention on occupational health and safety”.

The lack of safety at the workplace has become an issue of grave concern in the desire to improve production in many organisations. Indeed, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that about 2.3 million people die every year from work-related accidents and diseases, while more than 160 million people suffer from occupational and work-related diseases.

It is also estimated that more than four per cent of the world's annual GDP is lost as a consequence of occupational accidents and diseases. This means that the suffering caused by such accidents and illnesses to workers and their families is incalculable.  

 Although Ghana has had its own share of occupational health issues, not much was heard about the day, as a result of the fact that many organisations put rather too little premium on it. 

Many workplace accidents in the country could be prevented if extra care was taken. There have been reports of accidents in industrial environments, explosions at fuel stations, industrial fires leading to injuries, loss of property and, in some cases, death.

At most workplaces, owing to the lack of employment opportunities in the country, many employees do not point out the risks involved in their jobs to their employers for fear of losing their jobs.

To keep raking in profit, many employers continue to subject their workers to hazardous work in industrial and heavy machine environments without the required or appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Moreover, in organisations where safety measures have been put in place, many workers are seen flouting such safety measures, to their own detriment.

The Daily Graphic is of the opinion that the need to create awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries and diseases at workplaces has become even more paramount now that Ghana has entered the oil producing league where a lot of heavy equipment is used.

Safety is a shared responsibility and it is, therefore, important for all — employers and employees, traders at the markets and motorists — to ensure that everything we do is safe and also note that safety starts with the individual.

Let us join in building a culture of preventing occupational accidents by resolving that if it is not safe, we should not do it. 

Regulators too should ensure that inspections are carried out at highly hazardous enclaves to ensure safety at all times because practising safety is far less expensive than taking care of accident victims.