NEWS:"JK guest at health, safety Day."

...

INNOCENT-THE BLOGGER-BOY

President Jakaya Kikwete.

The government has started a compensation fund for employees affected by various disasters at work place, instead of being compensated by employers.

 

Deputy Minister of Labour and Employment Makongoro Mahanga reveled this in Dar es Salaam this week when briefing journalists on preparations for commemoration of the safety and health day.

 

The commemoration of the safety and health day will be held nationally at Dodoma on Monday and President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to be the guest of honour.

 

Mahanga said the fund would help the government collect the right statistics of the employees, who have been affected. 

“Until now the government does not have statistics of persons affected at work place for lack of cooperation from employers who do not report once disaster occurs to their employees,” he said.

 

He said most employers fail to report because they fear losses when it comes to compensating to workers.

 

The compensation fund is expected to motivate employers to report all the incidents facing their employees, as the burden will not be upon them but compensated by the established fund, Makongoro added.

 

“This will help the government to get specific statistics and make it easy to handle the consequences,” he said.

 

The compensation fund will be contributed by both the employers and employees by 0.05 per cent of their salary for the purpose of compensating them once they face disasters at working places.

 

The minister said all employers to give priority the safety and health of employees, adding that the issue of safety and health at work place involves everyone.

 

After every 15 seconds one employee dies and 160 are injured, he stressed.

 

About 2.3 million employees die per year and 313 million employees are injured at the work place.

 

Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) Executive Director Akwilina Kayumba said employers fail to report such incidents owing to lack of knowledge on the laws that govern OSHA.

 

They also forget the law requires them to report immediately once employee faces disaster at working place.

 

Furthermore, they think once they report they will be punished because OSHA think they have not put safe working environment to their employees.

 

“I want all the employers to understand that to report such incidents will not be punished but failure to report attract the penalty of Sh10m to Sh12m,” Kayumba cautioned.

 

Providing education on safety and health at work place is still a challenge as only six zones have been reached.