Promote Human Rights of Workers, Decent Work and Sustainable Development

  Workers Safety

WORLD DAY FOR HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK- 2010 OBSERVED
(Occupational health and safety policy demanded)

Home

Trade Union leaders & activists on 29^th April demanded immediate formulation of an occupational health and safety policy and proper reform and implementation of the Bangladesh Labor Law 2006.

They made their demand at a seminar on ‘Emerging Risk and New Patterns of Prevention in a Changing World of Work’, organized by the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE), at the National Press Club to mark the World Occupational Health and Safety Day. They also demanded formation of a national council for ensuring health-care and safety for industrial workers immediately.

According to OSHE survey a total of 1,639 workers died and 1,858 workers were injured in various occupational accidents in 2009 throughout the country.

Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan said that accidents occur frequently in the workplaces due to lack of awareness in the workers and ignorance of the owners.

Monnujan Sufian, state minister for labour and employment, said, ‘The government has already taken initiatives to amend the Bangladesh Labour Law 2006 in order to make it more worker-friendly.

Wajedul Islam Khan, Coordinator, SKOP was emphasized on reform BLA 2006 to ensure occupational health & safety.

President of Bangladesh Jatio Sramik League Abdul Matin Master urged immediately formulate national occupational health and safety policy which has submitted to ministry of labor & employment by active cooperation of OSHE and other organization.

Kazi Saifuddin Ahmed, labour advisor of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, said in his keynote paper that the workers often face different kinds of occupational health hazards including physical, biological and psychological ones.He said that due to technological development and introduction of new types of chemical, new health hazards are emerging day by day.

Workers often become victims of different ailments like cancer, skin disease, complications related to reproductive health, heat stroke, cramps, headaches and deafness, said Saifuddin, adding that there is no provision on sound pollution in the current labour law. He said that the government should set a limit on noise in the labour law.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information: A.R. Chowdury REPON, OSHE
E-mail: oshe@agni.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------