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ACTIONS TOWARDS IMPROVING HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR RICE MILL WORKERS UNDER OSHE-BNF PROJECT |
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Bangladesh Occupational Safety,
Health and Environment Foundation
(OSHE) is working in national level
from its establishment time in 2003
as an specialized development organization
for occupational health and safety to work
on workers’ employment, income, decent work,
work environment, occupational health and safety
and livelihood of the working people. Initiate
national policy dialogue on labour issues,
education & training for workers in different
industry, conduct research and collecting information
with focus on workplace safety, health and environment
is a routine work of OSHE.
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As part of this work Bangladesh OSHE
Foundation initiated an action on “Primary Health Care Service”
with the assistance of Bangladesh NGO Foundation (BNF)
on 1 June 2008 with the view of ensuring occupational
health and safety for around 18,000 worker and their
families in 250 rice mill at the massive rice mill
sited area of Ashugang in Bangladesh. The office of
this project is located at a room of Ashuganj Upazila Parishad Bhaban.
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| The following outputs are carried out with the donation of 1st round under this project:
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Health Care Clinic Service:
With the view of providing free treatment
for rice mill workers and their families
a health care clinic service is conducted
under this project.
The clinic is set up in the selected
room for this project in the ground
floor of Ashuganj Upazila Parishad Bhaban.
An MBBS medical officer and a trained nurse
provided health care services for 3 days in
a week for 3 hours in a day. Among them, two days
are allotted for the health care centre and the rest
for mobile clinic at the remote rice mill area. Free
treatment and advise, first aid medicine and family planning
control tools are provided under the health care centre.
All other trade union leaders’ intracted, “Undoubtly
it is a time-be-fitting and effective step that has
taken OSHE and NGO Platform on shipbreaking jointly.
The awfullness of deadly asbestos is an issue of
anxiety at work and it is the time to take action
against it. Neverthless a great number of workers
will affect the contamination of asbestos thatwill
effect our labour market largely”. In addition, they
thanked OSHE making scope to attain this workshop
and be aware of that issue. They consider that it
has created a window to work together to reduce
asbestos hazards. However, they expressed their
obligation to include it in their trade union
movement’s agenda and taking part to create
awareness among the workers as well as burgaining
with the employers on that issue.
Health Care Education Course at work:
In the aim of creating awarenrss about the occupational
health and safety and several types of occupational and
contagious diseases among the rice mill workers,
12 nos. of “workers health care education course”
were conducted in the 1st round (June 2008- May 2009)
of this project. 186 workers (82 female & 104 male)
were participated in this course directly. Each of
the said trained up workers shared their experience
among at least five co-workers. In that consequence
around 930 rice mill workers gathered knowledge
about their health conscious, improvement of work
environment, making use of pure water (boiled/tube well),
precaution of contamination diseases, uses of mosquito nets,
washing hands with soap before taking meal and after using
toilets and the benefits of taking family planning.
Joint Seminar for Workers & Employers:
A motivational seminar was held on “Role of Employers
for the development of occupational health and safety”
on 14 September 2008 at Ashuganj Upazila Parishad
Auditorium in the aim of making more effective and
dynamic of the project activity on “Primary Health
Care Services for rice mill workers”. Mr. Rezaul Maksud Zahedi,
UNO, Ashuganj Upazila was present as a chief guest
in the seminar where Mr. Hazi Rofiqul Islam, President
of Ashuganj Rice Mill Owners’ Association,
Senior Vice president Mr. Saju Khan,
General Secretary Mr. Monirul Islam Bhuiyan (Swapan Bhuiyan),
Mr. Golam Hossain Ipti, President of Ashuganj
Upazila Shilpa Banik Somittee, Mr. Md. Mizanur Rahman,
President of Sarail Upazila Rice Mill owners’
Association were present as special guest
in the seminar. The attendant rice mill
owners praised to OSHE for taking the
initiative on the development of
occupational health and safety of rice mill
workers in the seminar. They donated
Tk. 60,000 for the allotment of
medicine for health care centre with
the view of getting better treatment
as well as assuring all kinds of support.
Publication of Poster and Flyer:
A poster and a flyer with the message of health
and safety for rice mill workers were published
and distributed in different rice mill with
the aim of building mass campaign about the
activities of health care clinic and creating mass
awareness among the rice mill owners under this project.
Monitoring Activities:
order to the activities of this project
were implemented properly a monitoring
committee was formed with the coordination
of local elite person, representatives of
rice mill worker and employer, representative
of BRAC and the representative of Government
(officer of Asuganj Upazila Family Planning)
under this project. The member of this committee
monitored the health care centre in
several time and made their comments
for the development of the project.
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Project Achievements:
As per the annual evaluation report (June 2008-May 2009)
of the activities of this project, it is found
that the following outputs were achieved under this project:
• The workers & owners of rice mill were aware about health and safety
• In present the rate of infirmity of rice mill workers was decrease
than ago i.e. the prevalence of diorrehea, dysentery, random fever etc.
were prior to decrease.
• Now a day they have taken early treatment without any
late in case of minor ill health. As a result they
have come back the work to come round soon and played
a role to increase the production.
• Coming round soon the workers able to work effectively,
the employers pleased to them. Therefore the rate of workers’ retrench was decreased.
• The workers were concerned about the family planning
and the negative mind set up of female workers were changed.
• As the children of them are includes in this services
and come round to receive this service, so they do their job without any mental stress.
• Increasing the positive attitude and providing support
of the owners for the development of workers’ health and safety.
• To guard the workers’ health, personal habit
and behavior i.e. uses of mosquito, drinking pure
water, being habitual to wash their hands with soap
or ash before taking the meal and after using the toilet .
• Arrangement of sanitary latrine in each of the rice mill with the initiative of employers and inspire to use it hygienically.
Bangladesh OSHE Foundation submitted the activity
report of this project including its expenditure
statement to Bangladesh NGO Foundation after
completed the activity for 1st round in time.
After monitoring the project activity and its
expenditure accounts the BNF Foundation pleased
to OSHE and select to provide allotment for 2nd
round and asked to submit a project [proposal for
two years. After checking the proposal, Bangladesh
NGO Foundation finally approved it. As a result,
on 11 May 2010 Ms. Saki Rezwana, Executive head of OSHE
received the cheque for third installment attending a
cheque distribution ceremony organized by Bangladesh NGO Foundation.
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For more information: A.R. Chowdury REPON, OSHE
E-mail: oshe@agni.com
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