Occupational Safety & Health Theme – A Lesson To Us All

28th April is World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the theme for this year is “Promoting Safety and Health in a Green Economy”. The world currently faces numerous challenges including climate change and sometimes it appears civilization is bringing the world to a premature end. To combat these changes, there is a shift in the world to a greener and more sustainable economy. Questions that always come up are; even if the technologies are now “greener” are the working conditions of the producers also safe and healthy? Is the environment also better off?

Developing countries have our own peculiar challenges since most of us do not have the system to even recycle, some of us do not bother to go through the process of separating products and many of us will live for today and allow tomorrow to take care of its self. Well you may live longer than you imagined and even if you don’t your children and grandchildren will suffer for your “sins”.

The recent rain was a warning sign and I hope we are all doing our duties to avert another 2011. I do not expect only corporate bodies to adopt the few points raised here, we all should take a part whether you are a one-woman company at Agbobloshie market or you manage a business involving parents and children (family at home). Don’t think that only oil companies, car makers and mining companies need to think about going green.

As a people we do have a lot of work to do. We “import” many things and actually pay others so we can dispose off their waste in our country – used clothing and underwear, televisions, bath-tubs and others that are unimaginable. We have to pay unrealistic amounts at the ports of entry to bring in cars so many people continue to use vehicles that have outlived their usefulness and are now a hazard to the environment. We make it difficult for our own people to live in a cleaner, safer environment.

Whenever we discuss “green” these points come to mind:

• Energy Conservation

o We waste so much energy. Electricity for instance is abused and we need to remember that when we use we need to produce more to meet the increasing demand. Are the days of oil numbered? Solar, wind, hydropower and bioenergy are all great options. Nuclear Energy? I am not that sure after the Japanese fiasco.

• Waste Management and Recycling

o Humans generate so much waste and we like to hoard as well. We need to share things that make sense to do so. Paper, water bottles, bottles for drinks, canned foods, sachets for water, containers for packaging food(take-away) and a host of others are begging to be recycled instead of being burnt or thrown in a bush hoping that mother nature will degrade them.

• Avoid or limit contamination

o I always wonder if we can’t produce our own form of biodegradable, environment friendly cleaning agents for washing cars for instance. Where does all the water with detergents used to wash thousands of cars a day in Ghana end up? A likely destination is our sources of drinking water or the sea where our fishes etc live.

o Poorly tuned or old vehicle engines pump fumes into our atmosphere with a vengeance.

o We still love to use charcoal to cook and the production of charcoal affects the environment in more than one way.

o Our mosquito sprays, fridges and many others all directly affect our environment.

o Our methods of Agriculture, de-forestation and mining are all major sources of trauma to our earth.

Sustainable Efforts to Consider:

1. Only print out materials when it is extremely important you will save many trees and the earth.

2. Implement solar or wind power systems to reduce energy bills and also protect our earth. One would have thought that with the abundance of sun in our part of the world, solar energy will be high on our agenda even if the initial cost is high.

3. Consolidate devices (such as printers, fax machines, copiers and scanners) into one unit. Then you will have fewer things to dispose off when they don’t function any longer.

4. Plant a tree or trees at your workplace, church, home or any appropriate place

5. Instead of using disposable cups especially at work, we could consider one cup (china ware) per employee. It pays off eventually.

6. Use energy saving bulbs and keep light, air conditioners and all other electronic devices off if they don’t need to be switched on.

7. Save water by using dual flush toilets for instance. You use less water if you only need to flush urine.

I appreciate that when it comes to certain aspects of life including Safety and Health we follow the principle “Out of Sight. Out of Mind”. So I will encourage you all to make interesting posters on safety and health and put them in areas where you can see them all the time. To my dear corporate leaders it is worth investing in your greatest asset since you will reap the benefits over time.

I hope that you will remember to be “a friend to the Earth” at all times. We can all start today by making small changes one day at a time.

Source:

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Moms’ Health Club.

References:

1. Michael A. O’Connell: How Green is your Practice?

2. Occupational Health & Safety. April 2012 Edition

3. ISSA – “Promoting Safety & Health in a Green Economy.