The Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) has ordered public and private institutions to set up committees in charge of promoting occupational safety and health at workplaces. The order follows findings by the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management which indicates that resilience to occupational safety and health hazards stands at only 35 per cent. The Rwandan labor law establishes a framework for workplace safety and mandates employers to safeguard worker health, safety, and well-being. ALSO READ: New study to examine occupational safety, health of Rwandan miners However, many institutions are not complying with the law, according to Patrick Kananga, Chief Labour and Decent Work Administrator at MIFOTRA. Safety and health at workplaces are not limited to protective gear. It also includes mental health, lunch, sports facilities, water, chairs, machines, fighting non-communicable diseases, among others,” Kananga said. “Safety and health are needed in all sectors such as agriculture, mining, construction. All institutions must set up committees in charge of safety and health at work. We will work with the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Social Security Board, and the Private Sector Federation to build capacity for these institutions, he added. The national Occupational Safety and Health Profile ranked various sectors in terms of compliance. The mining and quarry sector stood at 34 per cent, construction at 18 per cent, agriculture and fishing at 13.8 per cent, transport, warehousing and communication at 13 per cent while other sectors stood at 21.1 per cent. ALSO READ: How to prevent workplace accidents Kananga said that the labour law explains penalties for safety and health violations at workplaces. It shows how the labour inspector punishes those who fail to comply with safety and health practices. Every employer should carry out a risk assessment to ensure safety and health at workplaces every year, he said. Sam Butare, the Managing Director of OHS Works, which provides comprehensive occupational health and safety solutions in Rwanda, point to a lack of culture in enforcing safety and health at workplaces in the country. ALSO READ: Rwanda launches workplace wellness programme People are not aware and they need to be trained. Implementing the law is a bit silent. We need to protect our people. There are accidents in mines, water factories, processing industries, construction and others. Some investors find it too costly to invest in the safety and health of workers, Butare said. He said there is a need for a centre to offer training about safety and health at workplaces. The mining sector is the worst in terms of safety and health of workers. Construction and processing industries such as metal making industries follow, he noted. Andre Mutsindashyaka, the Secretary General of Rwanda Extractive Industry Workers Union (REWU), said that the newly enacted law promises to help investors in mining, and particularly miners in ensuring that their rights are respected. Mutsindashyaka said that only 34 per cent of mining workers have social security coverage under the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), and it is the same percentage that has employment contracts. The law emphasizes strict adherence to health and safety standards to protect workers and surrounding communities. The development, Mutsindashyaka said, will help prevent accidents at the workplace, with improvement of occupational health and safety. There is improvement in terms of safety and health. However, more workers are still suffering from respiratory diseases, accidents, among others, he said. Jack Ngarambe, the Director General in charge of urbanization, housing, and human settlement in the Ministry of Infrastructure, said there is a need to take punitive measures on employers who haven’t implemented measures to keep their employees safe and healthy in the workplace. Laws, policies, strategies, standards in the construction sector are available but they are not complied with. Last year we recorded 15 fatal accidents in the construction sector, Ngarambe said, adding that employers need to provide protective equipment for their workers Beata Akimpaye, the Division Manager of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement at Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) said sustainable waste management at workplaces is needed in order to curb diseases caused by poor hygiene and sanitation. the International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that millions of workers worldwide are affected by work-related injuries and illnesses, with more than 2.3 million fatalities occurring every year as a result. It is also estimated that more than 337 million workers sustain injuries and more than 160 million cases of work-related diseases occur, which cost countries an estimated four per cent of their GDP. Occupational risks and living environment account for 23 per cent of global deaths. Considering NCDs risk factors and type of work or occupation, 44.6 per cent of government employees in Rwanda are overweight due to a lack of a safer working environment. Occupational risks and living environment are among the causes of non-communicable diseases which kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74 per cent of all deaths globally. In Rwanda, about 26 per cent of lower back pain has been estimated to be work-related and 3.2 per cent to 4.6 per cent of all cancer deaths are due to occupational exposure. There has been an increase in the number of occupational injuries in Rwanda, from 754 occupational injuries in 2017-2018 to 1,467 in 2022-2023. Incapacity benefits paid to social security members who cannot work because of illness and disability including non-communicable diseases have increased from Rwf264 million to Rwf768 million in 2022 according to RSSB.
