Occupational Health and Safety Policy Legislation to be implemented

Tema, June 23, GNA - Mr Antwi Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, has assured Ghanaians that an Occupational Health and Safety Policy Legislation would be implemented by the end of the year.

Mr Sekyere, who made this disclosure at the First Biennial National Safety Conference in Tema, said the new policy, which is yet to receive cabinet approval, would help strengthen the Factories Inspectorate Department of his Ministry and cater for workplace safety in industries and factories.

The Conference, attended by industry leaders, safety practitioners, regulators and representatives from various professional bodies, was jointly organized by the Bureau of Public Health Safety and Environment and the Factories Inspectorate Department of the Ministry.

"We are very sure that by the end of the year, we will have a new occupational health and safety policy legislation that will be effective in dealing with our workplace safety and health."

The Deputy Minister lauded organizers of the conference for their initiative and foresight, and assured them that the conference would be institutionalized and held biennially, to provide participants with the platforms to review and make inputs into regulations that would govern workplace safety.

Mr Sekyere assured the Factories Inspectorate Department that the new policy would pave way for the training of more personnel into the Department.

Mr Davidson Akwada, Executive Director of the Bureau of Public Health Safety and Environment, was hopeful that future conferences would help address the numerous industrial incidents in the country. Mr Akwada intimated that the next conference would focus on road safety.