12 enterprises closed over poor safety, health measures

By Cecilia Okoth & Juliet Waiswa

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) Thursday closed 12 enterprises in Kampala that have failed to comply with safety and health measures at workplaces.
           
The closed enterprises include Cairo and Orient bank, Kololo Courts Hotel, Mama Ashanti Restaurant and bar, Cementers Uganda Ltd, Mackinnon Suites Nakasero and Sunbelt Industries Ltd.
           
Others include construction sites for the proposed Senana Shopping Centre, the proposed Uganda Revenue Authority Headquarters, another proposed shopping mall site on plot No 37 and 39 Nasser road and the proposed Office Development, Ternan Avenue-Roko Construction.
           
Pius Bigirimana, the Ministry's permanent Secretary said the enterprises were issued letters to that effect. He said the ongoing crackdown continue to other districts once they are done with Kampala.

 The offices of Cementers Uganda Ltd shortly before being closed by a team from Ministry of Gender and Community development for the not complying with the occupational health and safety regulations at 6th street industrial area Kampala on 11 Nov 2015. Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu

Last year in November, a notice by the ministry spelt the need for all enterprises to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act No.9 of 2006.

Before the crackdown exercise, Bigirimana told journalists at the Gender Ministry offices yesterday that many companies did not adhere to the notice and had failed to enforce proper working conditions for their employees.

"Even if it takes us 20 years, we shall close you down. Many people contracted diseases while others have lost their property and lives in non-compliant premises," Bigirimana said, citing the recent fire that gutted Crest form industries in Ntinda that claimed the lives of employees.

He said out of the millions of enterprises operating in the country, only 1,175 enterprises/organisations have complied with aforesaid.

Izhar Khan, the Manager Mackinnon Suites said confirmed that they had received notices of closure from the ministry and promised to full fill the set requirements.

By press time, one of the managers at Kololo Courts Hotel in Kampala said they were negotiating with the ministry on the matter.

David Mugisa the Commissioner Safety and Health in MoGLSD said this year alone, over 40 employees came out to complain about poor working conditions ranging from accidents, diseases and violence at work.

The complaints he said mainly come from manufacturing, metal, steel industries and agricultural related pesticide use industries.

Safety measures at work places according to the Law include a written safety and health policy, ongoing clear workplaces safety and health programmes, machine guarding, chemical safety managements systems, proper electrical safety and monitoring system of exposure limits like noise levels, temperature, light, air, quality, radiation, vibration and humidity.

Others include Persons with Disability access related amenities, proper signage, housekeeping, emergency preparedness and response plan, waste management, fire safety systems and personal protective equipment.

Work place health measures on the other hand include provision of first aid services, food safety and hygiene systems, HIV at work policy which includes HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support and treatment, pre-employment, periodic and post-employment medical examination.

Others include the provision of appropriate welfare amenities and presence of workplace integrated health promotion policies.

Stuart Mwesigwa, the Business Development Manager, at Rooofings Group said that the partnership will help them get graduates that are practical and can interpret the theory they acquired in school.

“We get many but majority are not practical so we have to retrain them, some brake the machinery others have to be replaced and this makes the whole process very expensive,” said Mwesigwa