Work place safety is a must

By Carol Kasujja and Jacqueline Emodek
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has called upon industrialists to improve their occupational health and safety management systems.

Many people work in places where their health and safety is at risk. When they are injured or fall sick due to the poor conditions at the workplace, or die on duty, employers take advantage of their ignorance of the law and do not compensate them.

Many factory workers spend hours every day in deplorable conditions or operating dangerous machines. Their only option when they are exposed to hazards is to sue their employers, and the process is time-consuming.

Speaking during the occupational health and safety management system training at UNBS headquarters in Nakawa, Philip Kahuma, a training officer at UNBS said: “It is an obligation for all employers to make sure their workplaces are safe. This is the reason the Occupational Health, Safety and Compensation Act (2006) was put in place.”

Kahuma noted that some work places have nothing on occupational, safety and health measures.

He advised employers to minimise occupational hazards at workplaces by ensuring safety standards in the company, for example having an emergency exit in case of fire.

The employer should ensure that each worker is covered by a medical insurance policy, the workplace is free from hazardous substances like harmful chemicals from machines, and provide other protective gear.

“If an employer has not yet established an occupational health and safety management system, employees should report to any labour office for help.

The labour office helps the victim to negotiate with the employer on how much he or she should be paid in case of injury. Employees should not fear to report the matter if they feel cheated,” Kahuma said.

Injured workers should not cover costs of their medical care or rely on public welfare if they get injured at work.