Occupational diseases and injuries in iron and steel soars but no statistics released for a decade.

The country’s iron and steel sectors are condemned as the highest risk industries in occupational health and safety, but no statistical reports have been released for the past 10 years.

Overall rate of occupational diseases, accident frequencies, severity and extent of permanent or temporary disablement in the workplace through neglect, have not been effectively monitored by government for a decade, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) can now reveal.

This is despite reported high disregard for labour legislation and extensive non-compliance by the employers throughout the country.

The sorry performance is reflected in the last accident frequency report issued in 1998 by the Department of Labour’s Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Statistics Report. It recorded high fatality rates and permanent disabilities in the iron and steel industries out of a total 9198 accidents.

Iron and steel remains the worst of all affected industries in the report, with 8008 total temporary disabilities reported, 1257 permanent disabilities suffered in hazardous corrosive and poisonous substances, lifting and hoisting machinery and 81 fatalities, but government appeared to undermine or have no grasp of the severity of the situation.

Although the labour ministry conceded that iron and steel sectors remained on its radar screen after its recent nationwide inspections, with 224 out 329 employers identified to be consistently breaching the labour laws, only one employer was threatened with prosecution.

This effectively has a negative turning point for Numsa health and safety campaign, kick-started this week to increase health and safety awareness among metalworkers and evaluate factors which threatened health and safety in their different work environments.

As we prepare for the second phase of the health and safety strategy with a multi-disciplinary or intersectoral approach to health and safety with accurate data with relevant demographic indicators, we urge the department to finalize its comprehensive review plan and begin to work hand in glove with the unions to ensure high reduction of the accidents and health hazard incidents, Numsa national health and safety coordinator Pulleng Mminele said.

It is also worrying and displeased us that we launched our strategic priority campaign on health and safety without proper information on how government reached targets to reduce more deaths and injuries without statistics.

For more information contact:-

Mziwakhe Hlangani, Numsa national spokesperson

Cell phone: 0829407116

E-mail address:mziwakheh@numsa.org.za

Source

Numsa News

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