Occupational Health and Safety Policy ready by year end

Accra, Aug 25, GNA - The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations would by the end of 2015 present to Cabinet a draft of the first ever National Occupation Health and Safety Bill for approval and onward passage by parliament.

The draft policy, if approved would be the maiden Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) index for Ghana, to provide the workforce both in formal and informal protection and ensure that workers are effectively covered by occupational safety and health.

It would ensure the provision of comprehensive coverage and compliance with OSH at both national and international levels.

Mr Sammy-Longman Attakumah, Chief Director of the Ministry said at the opening of a day's Stakeholders' meeting on developing of OSH index in Accra.

The meeting was attended by the Ghana Employers Association, Organised Labour, ILO and the University of Ghana (UG) Business School.

Mr Attakumah explained that there are many traditional workplace risks especially in the informal economy whose approach towards OSH is more reactive rather than preventative.

He said in addition to the physical hazards being experienced by workers, psychosocial hazards are becoming a more persuasive feature of work environment.

According to the ILO estimates, occupational accidents and work-related diseases annually cause more than 2.3 million fatalities of which more than 350,000 are fatal occupational accidents and more than two million are as a result of work related diseases.

He called for a more concerted effort for effective protection and compliance in OSH to impact positively on productivity and performance of all organisations.

Professor Samuel Agyei-Mensah, Provost College of Humanities, UG who chaired the function, acknowledged the fact that the Ghanaian works have been subjected to health hazards largely emanating from their work places over the years and commended the Business School for leading the initiative.

He urged the stakeholders to consider address safety issues and identify concrete steps that could be taken to help make our work environments safe.

GNA