The world marks Day on safety and health for workers

Today is World Day for Safety and Health at Work,i bet you did not know that nor knew of its existance. This is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003. The date 28^th April has also long been associated with the world's trade union movement's commemoration of the victims of occupational accidents and diseases.

Every year some two million men and women lose their lives through accidents and diseases linked to their work. In addition, there are 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational diseases each year, incurring US$ 2.8 trillion in costs for lost working time and expenses for treatment, compensation and rehabilitation. Fatalities, accidents and illness at work are highly preventable and we have an obligation to act.

A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention.

Safty involves sensitizing the workers or people in a place on how to be safe and measures to undertake incase of an emergency.Workers have the right to a safe and healthy working environment at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention.

In Kenya the celebrations to mark the World Day on Safety and Health at Work will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). This year's theme will be “Join in building a culture of prevention on occupational safety and health”.

The purpose of marking the Day is to take stock of the positive gains and strides realised towards the promotion of a safe and healthy workplace, to take cognizance of the challenges faced and to create awareness on occupational safety and health.

To mark this day, various activities were prepared by the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), a department within the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services. These included a conference on occupational safety and health and an exhibition where various stakeholders were participating. The inaugural Occupational Safety and Health awards were also held with the aim of promoting safety and health in workplaces. 

In attendance will be CS Raychelle Omamo.

References : www.ilo.org

                   www.un.org

                   mygov.go.ke