MPs call for stronger occupational safety supervision in informal sector

DODOMA: THE Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare and Community Development has urged the government, through the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA), to strengthen occupational safety and health supervision to informal sector, which faces greater workplace safety and health challenges.

Committee Chairperson, Ms Hawa Chakoma, made the call while concluding a special session between the committee and the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Employment and Relations) in Dodoma on Monday to receive briefings on the structure and functions of OSHA and the Workers Compensation Fund (WCF).

Ms Chakoma commended the OSHA for its efforts to improve workers’ health and safety through guidelines and professional advice provided by its experts during workplace inspections across the country.

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However, she stressed the need for OSHA to establish a sustainable mechanism to follow up on the implementation of recommendations issued during inspections to ensure employers comply with occupational safety and health requirements.

“As a committee, while we commend them for their work, we have advised OSHA to put in place a continuous follow-up system because there are reports that some employers comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act only when inspectors are present. Once inspections are over, there is negligence in adhering to rules and procedures meant to protect workers in production activities,” she said.

The committee also advised the government to explore effective ways of integrating the informal sector into the formal occupational safety and health management system in order to protect the large workforce that is selfemployed in the sector, including those in transport and construction.

On his part, committee member and Ilemela MP, Mr Kafiti William Kafiti, said the meeting had enabled the committee to gain a deeper understanding of how key institutions under the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Employment and Relations) discharge their core mandates.

He said the insights gained would enhance the committee’s effectiveness in advising the Prime Minister’s Office and its affiliated institutions.

Presenting a report on the structure and responsibilities of OSHA and WCF, Minister for Labour, Mr Deus Sangu, who was accompanied by OSHA Chief Executive Officer Ms Khadija Mwenda and other officials, underscored the importance of the two institutions in promoting development and enhancing the welfare of both workers and employers.

OSHA is among the institutions under the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Employment and Relations) mandated to oversee the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 5 of 2003, which provides a national framework for managing occupational safety and health across all economic activities to safeguard the workforce and investments in the country.