The Labour Department has indicated that it paid a whopping GH¢6,724,654.44 as workmen’s compensations to workers who were involved in workplace accidents between 2015 and 2016.
It also said in 2016 about 1,096 workplace accidents were reported to the Labour Department compared to 2,697 in 2015.
Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffuor- Awuah, who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 3rd edition of the annual Ghana Extractive Industry Safety Conference (GEISCON) organized by the Sekondi-Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (STCCI) in Takoradi, charged companies operating in the country to ensure that they avoid industrial or workplace accidents rather than coming up with solutions.
He pointed out that whenever industrial accidents occur, employers lose valuable human capital and financial resources.
He mentioned that every worker was entitled to a work environment with zero-tolerance to occupational hazards or injury to ensure his or her wellbeing.
He pointed out that laws and regulations governing safety standards and their application in the country would remain high on the agenda of government, as all players commit to safety management.
The Minister mentioned that his ministry was working assiduously in getting the draft National Occupational Safety and Health Policy and the corresponding bill approved by Cabinet and passed by Parliament.
“This will usher in a new era of Occupational Safety and Health management in Ghana”.
He noted that the government would continue to collaborate effectively with investors, work closely with stakeholders and agencies that were required to apply the necessary safety standards to do so without compromising.
Dr. Toni Aubynn, immediate-past CEO of the Minerals Commission and Convenor of the event, disclosed that the issue of safety had remained a challenge in the country because of the attitude of Ghanaians towards safety, with the assumption that safety was in the hands of God.
He urged companies outside the extractive industry to join the campaign for safety management at workplace and endeavour to join the STCCI in upholding the standards through new initiatives and the annual safety conferences.
Chairman of STCCI, Ato Van-Ess, explained that there were damming consequences of safety failure and lack of safety standards at workplace and appealed to organizations to allow safety structures to work.
Chief Executive of the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) Anthony K.K. Sam, revealed that the collaboration between the STCCI and the assembly culminated in the current joint investment trip to Germany.
“The collaboration is beginning to yield positive results following the interest being generated by potential German investors in the metropolis,” he added.
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