WINDHOEK: In response to growing concerns about worker safety and the prevention of occupational hazards, the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation held a consultation session to help create the Occupational Safety and Health Bill.
The stakeholder session was held here Tuesday to enable and create a safe and healthy working environment for workers, employers, and customers/clients, as well as to improve safety measures across industries where workers face a variety of hazards.
Speaking at the meeting, Aune Mudjanima, the ministry’s acting deputy executive director, said the consultations are a vital step in creating Namibia’s workplace safety and health landscape and providing a balanced framework that protects workers while allowing for practical application across industries.
The ministry’s programme demonstrates a commitment to building safer workplaces through collaborative efforts and inclusive policymaking, she stated.
She outlined the government’s proactive approach, hig
hlighting prior studies and policy developments that led to the current draft of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill.
”This bill is a significant milestone since it establishes a tripartite commission to conduct regional consultations. The draft OSH Bill is available on the ministry’s website, and the public is invited to provide feedback to guarantee inclusion and pragmatism in the legislative framework,” she said.
Mudjanima emphasised the necessity of a safe working environment in the context of International Labour Organisation norms. This includes adhering to conventions such as the Occupational Safety and Health Convention of 1981 (No. 155) and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention of 2006 (No. 187), which require alignment with national legal documents.
Job Muniaro, secretary general of the National Union of Namibian Workers, underlined the call for a holistic strategy while emphasising the significance of not only establishing protective regulations, but
also implementing comprehensive risk analysis and management systems in the workplace.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency