The occurrence of a considerable number of work accidents and occupational diseases, especially in the mining, civil construction and manufacturing sectors in the country is worrying the Government. It is in this context that the Prime Minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, yesterday urged the national business sector to promote good practices on safety and health at work.
According to the ruler, in the five-year period 2015-2019, just over 2600 accidents were reported, representing an average of 525 accidents per year, which resulted in reduced capacity for work or even the death of workers.
“The mining, construction and manufacturing sectors recorded about 51% of the work accidents reported during that period. Thus, this fact highlights that the various stakeholders should pay special attention to actions to promote good practices on safety and health at work,” he said.
Speaking in Maputo, at the “Safety and Health at Work Best Practices Awards Gala”, an event in which 18 companies were distinguished, including large, medium and small, the Prime Minister explained that the initiative is part of the celebrations of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, celebrated yesterday.
According to “Notícias”, data from the International Labor Organization (ILO) indicate that 374 million accidents occur annually in the world and there are about 3 million deaths of workers due to accidents at work and occupational diseases.
The ILO also estimates that the incidents represent an annual cost of about 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the world economy due to lost workdays, health care expenses, pensions, rehabilitation and reintegration of workers.
It is in this context that, according to Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, to increasingly improve safety and health at work, the government has been conducting awareness campaigns for the prevention of work accidents and occupational diseases.
“These campaigns focus mainly on the dissemination of legislation and good practices on the subject.
The Government has also encouraged and promoted the need for companies to create occupational hygiene, health and safety committees as a way to prevent and avoid these evils,” he stressed.
