The Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, Mr Jone Usamate has raised concerns on the increasing number of issues of non compliance of Occupational Health and Safety standards at the workplaces.
The recent trends noted by the inspectors during the enforcement of OHS in the workplaces were negligence from employers, supervisors and workers alike.
“The supervisors have either failed to ensure that all procedures are followed and complied with or are just not emphasising their role. The workers were noted to have failed to address their rights and responsibilities and continued to work unsafely,” Mr. Usamate said.
It was also noted that some workers do not use the proper safety equipments provided to them by their employers.
The National Occupational Health and Safety Service (NOHSS) have issued a number of penalty notices to individuals ranging from $50.00 to $1000.00 for not wearing Personal Protective Equipment and for failing to have Documented Safe Systems of Work.
These penalty notices were issued for breaches of certain sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1996 and OHS regulations.
Mr Usamate said the Ministry is now moving to ensure more compliance and stiffer penalties to offenders. In doing so, the NOHSS will ensure that negligence of law by offenders will be dealt with accordingly or be taken for prosecution where the fines could be thousands of dollars.
While some employers and workers have failed to fulfill the requirements, Mr. Usamate acknowledged employers and workers who have honored their obligations.
He said employers, workers and all stakeholders should take all due care of health and safety at workplace under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1996 (HASAWA) and its subsidiary legislations. Especially the provisions of the General Workplace Conditions Regulations 2003, which requires employers to ensure the health and safety at work of all his or her workers, provide and maintain plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health and provide the basic minimum Personal Protective Equipment and clothing of approved Standard, without any costs.
Similarly, workers are required to consistently follow all instructions provided by the employer on the use of any equipment or any workplace procedures given for their and others safety and health at the workplace.
Mr Usamate highlighted that the National OHS Service with the implementation of the HASAWA ensures compliance based on the concept of ‘duty of care’ principles and promotes a proactive OHS risk management culture emphasizing the creed that ‘those who create the risks in the workplace and those who work with them have the primary responsibility to solve them’, rather than relying on OHS Inspectors to prescribe the remedies.
He said the Ministry has empowered the OHS Committees set up at the workplaces to ensure that health and safety is maintained in the workplace and employers and workers should consult with each other through this committee to enable an accident and risk-free working environment.
Employers who employ more than twenty (20) workers are required under the HASAW Act to establish a health and safety committee.
The Minister also appeals to the employers to work closely with his Ministry and to thoroughly observe and comply with the provisions of the Labour laws and develop the health & safety standards at their workplaces; protecting the health and well being of their workers and contributing towards creating safe, healthy and productive workplaces in Fiji.
-End-