Adhering to safety and health regulations makes good business sense. The number of occupational accidents and diseases in Zimbabwe is too high for such a small economy, Labour and Social Services Minister Paurina Mpariwa pointed out at the recent commemoration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

Last year 4 111 serious work-related injuries and 75 deaths were recorded. Already by the end of March this year 1 216 serious occupational injuries and 29 fatalities had been reported.

Appealing to businesses to place great emphasis on occupational safety and health, the minister said workplace injuries negatively affected production, as well as sometimes resulting in unnecessary loss of lives.

Many businesses fail to appreciate the negative impact that occupational injuries and diseases have on their productivity levels or that adhering to good safety and health practices is good for productivity.

Sadly, many employers look for ways out of fully complying with safety and health regulations. Many look at the cost of complying with these regulations rather than at the cost of not complying with them, not only in terms of the legal consequences of ignoring the law but in terms of the loss in productivity that inevitably goes with a high accident rate.

Injuries and sickness result in absences from work and lost man-hours. Fatal injuries result in workers taking time off to attend their colleague's funeral and the need to recruit a replacement.

Where fatalities or serious injuries suggest a risk of further accidents, a company's operations may have to cease pending investigations and the rectifying of safety deficiencies.

Workplace accidents are also bad for staff morale, which militates against high productivity. On the other hand, an environment of concern for safety and health is good for staff morale and likely to lead to higher productivity.

Many employers and employees are ignorant of some of the requirements of the Factories and Works Act (Chapter 14:08:1996). Copies of the Act and regulations governing safety and health issues can readily be obtained for a small fee. In fact, it is a legal requirement for there to be a copy of the regulations at factory premises.

Many accidents might be prevented if the minimum statutory safety and health requirements were adhered to.

Some factory premises are unregistered because the occupiers fail to realise that their operations come within the legal definition of a factory.

The Factories and Works certificate, which is issued after factory premises have been inspected to ensure they comply with factory and safety and health regulations, is as important as any other certificate.

The failure to involve inspectors when machinery is repaired or altered can be a cause of preventable accidents. Engineers frequently repair or tamper with machines or installations without consulting the Factories Inspectorate.

Repair procedures must be submitted to the regulatory authority, which is the inspectorate department of NSSA, for approval before executing repairs.

The inspectorate department of NSSA is composed of highly qualified and competent engineering personnel, whose advice is crucial to ensure the repaired machinery is safe.

Most occupiers of factory premises are quick to issue employees with protective equipment but without addressing safety problems at their source. The engineering approach is a key factor in minimising the likelihood of accidents. Satisfactory engineering design is crucial for avoiding accidents.

Some factory occupiers are not only ignorant of the regulations governing their operations but reluctant to find out about them. They believe legislation hinders production. However, the opposite is true, as has been proved by occupiers who practise self-regulation.

The use of uninspected equipment is one of the areas where, often through ignorance, occupiers of factory premises fail to comply with the law and in so doing may put the safety and health of themselves and their employees at risk.

The equipment that requires statutory inspections and the intervals at which inspections should be carried out are clearly outlined in the regulations.

Occupiers of premises who are unsure whether their equipment requires inspection should contact the Factory Inspector within the Occupational Safety and Health Division of NSSA for guidance.

While most occupiers quickly report accidents to NSSA for compensation purposes, many do not appreciate that NSSA also has a role to play in trying to prevent a similar accident occurring.

The law stipulates that accidents should be reported to the regulator on the prescribed form for the purposes of accident prevention. NSSA is not in the business of paying benefits only. It is also concerned about the safety and health of the workforce.

Some simple accident preventative measures, such as the installation of earth leakage protection circuit breakers on electrical installations, could reduce the likelihood of accidents.

It is estimated that 98 percent of the electrical circuit breakers in factories do not have protection for human beings in the case of accidental contact with parts carrying live electricity. It is the duty of every engineer to purchase these units and install them.

As the Minister of Labour and Social Services has pointed out, there are far too many workplace accidents and deaths. Reducing the likelihood of such accidents requires action on the part of businesses whose operations carry a risk of such accidents.

Adherence to safety and health regulations and even going beyond these minimum regulations shows not only concern for one's workers but makes good business sense.

A starting point for those unaware of what these regulations involve would be to obtain a copy of the Factories and Works Act and the various regulations governing factory operations.

All Africa published 29 May 2012