The Sunday Mail
Tawanda Musarurwa
Both employers and employees need to take occupational safety and health (OSH) issues more seriously than ever before, as the Covid-19 pandemic has added another layer of complexity to OSH concerns.
As at October 6, 2021 World Health Organisation (WHO) data showed that there had been 235 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 4,8 million deaths.
Over the same period, Zimbabwe had recorded 131 434 confirmed cases and 4 630 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
A study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) indicates that workplace exposures contributed to between 20 percent and 30 percent of new Covid-19 infections in some countries.
The unprecedented global health crisis has significantly redefined a number of work routines, and with the end of the pandemic – which emerged at the end of the 2019 – yet in sight, losses (economic and otherwise) are still to be fully quantified.
Quantifiable, however, is potential revenue lost due to workplace injuries. Over the 10-year period to 2018, it is estimated that Zimbabwe lost around US$438 million in potential revenue due to workplace injuries.
According to National Social Security Authority (NSSA) chief researcher and development officer Mr Benjamin Mutetwa:
“About US$438 814 090 was lost due to occupational injuries over the 10-year period, 2009 to 2018. This suggests that as much as about US$44 million was lost per annum due to occupational injuries.”
He adds that these “cost estimates could be an under-estimation.”
“Generally, injury costs as percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) ranges from 2 percent to 4 percent in various countries. The results provide insights into potential costs of work-related injuries in Zimbabwe and further gives a basis for targeted OSH programmes in potentially high-risk sectors,” said Mr Mutetwa.
Now, if Zimbabwe was losing around US$44 million a year to workplace injuries prior to Covid-19, post-pandemic loses are likely to be significantly higher.
In Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular, Covid-19 has also hit hard players in the informal sector, which contributes significantly to the country’s GDP.
“While lockdowns were most effective in the containment measures, they rapidly translated into threatening or losses of livelihood for about 85 percent of Africa’s employed population, the majority that makes a living in the informal sector,” said ILO country office director for Zimbabwe and Namibia, Ms Hopolang Phororo.
To this extent, Government is looking to extend the scope of current OSH coverage in the country to the informal sector, by eliminating existing legislative bottlenecks that are stifling NSSA’s role of ensuring that Zimbabweans have access to the various types of social security.
OSH in Zimbabwe is regulated, generally, by the Factories and Works Act (20 of 1948), the Labour Act (16 of 1985), the National Social Security Authority (Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme) Notice No. 68 of 1990, and the Labour Relations (HIV and AIDS) regulations – Statutory Instrument 202 of 1998.
However, these disparate pieces of legislation largely cater to the formal sector.
“In this respect, Government is committed to ensuring the expeditious enactment of the harmonised OSHA Bill that will provide a broader coverage of workplaces,” said Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima.
Nevertheless, even though current OSH policies and laws lean on the side of the formal sector, compliance with OSH legislation and standards remains a challenge for most organisations.
Statistics from NSSA show that only about 10 percent of organisations in the country have implemented OSH systems up to certification level.
Employers tend to view the implementation of OSH management systems purely as an additional cost.
However, there is clearly a business justification.
According to the International Social Security Association (ISSA), for every US$1 invested in OSH, there is a corresponding US$2 return on investment.
