Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Research and Policy Development
Purpose Of The Division
Functional OHS Activities
OHS Promotion
Key Programmes
Statutory Obligations
Factories Inspectorate
Occupational Health Services
Research And Development
Training And CIS Information Services
Purpose Of The Division
To assure the creation and maintenance of ideal work environments which are free from occupational disabling hazards that may cause injury or illness to all employees in work environments.
Key OHSR And PD Operational Functional Factors
The main influential factors on the OHS programme activities include the following:
Patterns of accidents
Patterns of occupational ill health
Changes in the structure of industry and patters of employment
Technological development and advances in scientific knowledge
Statutory policies and public concerns (local scope)
Regional and international
Functional OHS Activities
The department has four functional sections. Each section has clearly defined goals and objectives in line with the national goals above.
Occupational Health and Safety Promotion Services
Factories Inspectorate - legal provisions enforcement
Occupational Health Services
Research and Development
OHS Promotion
Objectives
To assist national industrial/workplace establishments to identify, develop and implement effective occupational and safety systems to prevent and control accidents.
To enhance the growth of the national economy through the creation of healthier, safer workplaces with high productivity and reduced losses.
To increase knowledge on occupational health and safety programmes required for different workplace settings.
Ensure national consensus on occupational health and safety activities.
Key Programmes
Health and Safety Awareness campaigns (teach-ins, posters, films, video etc).
Health and Safety Surveys/Assessments to establish baseline information on the status of industrial health and safety programmes.
Training for management and employees on tailor-made courses
Advise and assist industry to develop and adopt sound policies in line with the national requirements.
Investigate accidents at workplaces to determine effective corrective measures.
Hold specially targeted seminars, workshops and conferences on the diverse topical issues in occupational health and safety.
Ensure that there is national consensus by involving management and employee participation through group meeting etc.
Statutory Obligations
Only Statutory Instrument on Workers Compensation and Accident Prevention, 68 of 1990 highlights the need for the Authority to provide these services. Industry needs to have a clearly defined obligation to create necessary programmes.
Under Factories and Works Act this has been obligatory hence this arm has been applied for the compliance complementary role.
Promotional services depend on the employer's willingness to not only accept the programmes, but to show/demonstrate positive commitment.
Pneumoconiosis Act is an aspect of Health Surveillance, also entrenched in Statutory Instrument 68 of 1990 on issues of occupational diseases.
The institution needs to also facilitate the implementation of regional and international standards
Factories Inspectorate
Objectives
To ensure that all workplace facilities, installations, equipment and machinery comply with the laid down provisions.
To ensure that industry adheres and observes the national legislation in its entirety.
To set precedent and establish standards on occupational health safety practices with regard to equipment, installations and operational standards.
Core Activities
Inspection of factories, buildings, machinery, equipment, installations etc
Investigation of reportable accidents (fatalities, disabling)
Investigation of occupational diseases incidents or prevalence
Approval of new and old plans where alteration is to be carried out
Carry out tests on boilers, pressure vessels and electrical equipment, biological, mechanical and ergonomical hazards.
Certify competency of certain designated people in industry as prescribed legally.
Occupational Health Services
Core Objectives
To promote and maintain the highest level of health among the gainfully employed economic group of the community.
To guarantee and assure the health of any individual involved in any occupation, which may have known hazards.
Key Activities
Establish national standards on the pre-placement and periodic medical examinations to ensure that physical and mental demands on those at work and jobs they do are matched with their individual, anatomical, physiological and psychological capabilities needs and limitations.
Provide effective measures to protect those who are vulnerable and to raise their level of resistance through surveillance programmes.
To discover and improve work conditions that may contribute to the overall ill health.
To carry out comprehensive in-plant health programmes to address the workers' total health as part of enhancement of public health programmes to the level of community health
To educate management and the workforce to fulfil their responsibilities relevant to health promotion.
Preventing ill health at work by finding causes and removing them
Carry out assessments for WCIF Workers' Compensation Insurance Fund and NPS National Pension Scheme.
To monitor and detect occupational diseases/conditions with regard to prevalence in known and unknown activities.
Helping people with disabilities to regain their normal or near normal health status to return to gainful employment.
Research And Development
Objectives
To create a scientific data and information base on Occupational Health and Safety programmes in Zimbabwe to determine training needs, and planning of activities.
To establish occupational health and safety standards with regard to exposure limits for known workplace stresses.
To carry out studies on workplace conditions to create a data base on occupational diseases in Zimbabwe.
To carry out hazard evaluation and monitoring activities to provide well researched, documented and reliable information on exposure trends to occupational hazards.
Key Activities
Industrial hygiene services to identify evaluate and determine appropriate control measures for workplace hazards.
Epidemiological studies on occupational health and safety diseases or work related stresses.
Compilation, collation and interpretation of statistical information to assist in the NSSA and national planning of relevant activities.
Laboratory services to support field activities through scientific analysis and testing of various parameters relating to O H and S.
Ergonomic studies on the workplace design and machinery/equipment design in relation to the operator or employee.
Studies on psychosocial factors and the environment of the worker.
Training And CIS Information Services
Objectives
To provide workers, employers, the public and the occupational health and safety community with information training and capacity to prevent occupational diseases and injuries.
Activities
Collection, processing, production and dissemination of occupational health and safety information.
Publishes On-Guard Magazine - An Aid to occupational safety and health
Conduct
Safety and Health Advisers' training courses
Safety Representative Courses
Occupational Health Nurses Courses
ILO-x-rays course for doctors
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