Why govt should enforce occupational safety

By Fred Nkuruho Tumwine

"The multiple failures we have seen in this project -- on the part of the World Bank, the Government of Uganda and a government contractor-- are unacceptable. It is our obligation to properly supervise all investment projects to ensure that the poor and vulnerable are protected in our work".

These were the quoted words of the President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim on December 21, 2015, when the Bank cancelled funding for a Uganda transport initiative, citing environmental concerns and allegations of sexual misconduct by contractors working on the project.

What happened was unfortunate for all Ugandans but it was an eye-opener to the government and employers/contractors that workers and communities near the construction sites must be protected from workplace accidents/incidents and illnesses.

It was also unbecoming to wait for a donor to tell us that a contractor is not doing well in protecting our citizens. In this country, occupational safety and health (OSH) is not taken seriously and we are likely to experience adverse effects of poor working conditions especially diseases in the near future.

Despite the socio-economic benefits that accrue from the transport sector interventions, the road sub-sector activities and working environments are associated with a number of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases that affect workers, adjacent communities and road users.

These are exposed to physical, chemical, biological, mechanical and ergonomic risks and hazards. The hazards range from noise, air and water pollution, to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Traffic accidents are also a major concern causing disability problems, permanent injuries and death, the economic and social cost of which is extremely high for the country.

Besides the negative impact on the physical environment, there are marginalised groups of the society, including children, women, people with disabilities (PWDs) who work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions characterised by long hours, low pay and physical and psychological abuses.

These factors are compounded by low levels of awareness and competence among many of the sub-sector employers and absence of active workers' bodies as well as poor reporting of accidents and data management.

In the road transport sub-sector, the work environment encompasses office premises, road construction sites, mechanical workshops, road surfaces and other auxiliary premises as well as the use of roads during transportation of passengers and goods. 

Each of these aspects of the sub-sector work environment faces different hazards, which vary in nature and magnitude. In this work environment, workers and adjacent communities are exposed to occupational accidents, injuries and diseases whose causes range from physical, chemical, biological, mechanical to ergonomic risk factors.

However, the magnitude and significance of hazards and risks due to road works activities will be influenced by the type of road and nature as well the purpose of the planned activities. These are reflected as follows:

• Workers at road construction sites are likely to face safety problems such as road accidents caused by speeding vehicles and lack of signage on/near the site. Appropriate measures at road works are paramount for safety and correct road signs, marking and cones or poles to indicate diversions. Special attention must be given to night-time conditions since measures that are sufficient in daylight may not always be so at night.

• Workers and communities in/near stone quarries are exposed to silica dust and noise pollution from crushers and machines, which produce a lot of noise which may lead to loss of hearing as well as stress. Protective measures need to be put in place to protect workers and communities in accordance to quarrying operations regulations.

• Where there is lack of proper toilet facilities in workers' camps, contamination of water may cause diarrhea, worm infestations as well as waterborne diseases.  According to Section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2006, workplaces should have adequate sanitary conveniences for all workers.

• Use of new technology, hazardous chemicals and a wide range of materials and equipment which exposes workers to excessive heat, noise, dust, organic solvents and other chemicals, may cause long-term insidious poisoning, skin burns and irritation, back injuries, musculoskeletal diseases and stress-induced illnesses. Workers in this sub-sector should be provided with Personal Protective Equipment and other safety and health facilities to protect themselves.

• Workers for road construction projects interact with communities who provide food, shelter and social partnerships/interactions. Trainings should be conducted targeting the community members and construction workers about the cause and spread of HIV/AIDS, child labour, sexual misconduct and environmental aspects about the project. This intervention is likely to increase public awareness about their health protection. 

Therefore the cancelled of funding for the Uganda transport initiative by the Bank is an indication that the Government is not monitoring and enforcing occupational safety and health practices and some employers/contractors do not pay attention to safety and health of their workers and communities near their working premises.

This scenario is attributed to lack of appropriate knowledge, attitudes and practices with respect to health and safety, inadequate supervision and enforcement of existing laws and regulations.

To reverse the situation, the Ministry of Works and Transport/Uganda National Roads Authority must be aware and committed to occupational health and safety through building the capacities of their staff to appreciate the importance and value of health and safety to workers, good industrial relations and corporate image, besides efficiency considerations.

For employers/contractor, must earmark budget for Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) activities in the implementation of project and employ OSH technical personnel to execute OSH in every construction project.

This is required by the law that all workplaces must be compliant with safety and health minimum standards. And for workers, these must know their duties, rights and responsibilities to remain safe and health at their places of work.

In addition, the Ministry of Works and Transport/Uganda National Roads Authority should carry out partnership in Occupational Safety and Health mainstreaming process through developing appropriate mechanism to collaborate with other line ministries and lead agencies to promote occupational safety and health institutionalisations in the road sub-sector. 

Such Partnership would involve the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, which supervise, investigate work-related accidents, and monitor and review safety and health-related issues, the Ministry of Health who would provide guidance with respect to health hazards that arise from biological agents  such as sanitation, vectors, waste disposal, waterborne diseases and clinical aspects during road construction and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Traffic Department) who enforces relevant laws on transport safety. 

The partnership would extend to the National Environment Management Authority who gives guidelines and standards for noise and air pollution, waste discharge among others, the National Roads Safety Council which is mandated to promote awareness about road safety in the country, consulting engineers who supervise contractors on quality of physical works and also on the implementation of occupational safety, health and environment measures over the entire duration of the road projects, contractors who are responsible for the application of the safety and health measures in respect of the workers placed under their respective contracts over the entire duration of the projects, the National Employers and Employees Associations (the beneficiary), civil society organisation and development partners to continue the assistance to government and harmonise their conditionality with respect to occupational safety and health. 

Writer is the director Occupational Safety and Health Institute Africa