The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is celebrated globally on 28th April every year in commemoration and solidarity with the workers who have died or have been injured in the course of their work. It also promotes a preventative culture by creating awareness among workers on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) issues.
Am privileged to have been the person who organized the first World Safety at work event in Kenya before later handing it over to the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services(DOSHS).
A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where the government,
employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working
environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention.
During the week before the safety day, I always encourage companies and institutions to organize in-house events and activities related to the year theme or on any other relevant OSH topic with OSH Committees taking the lead. Such activities include the following among others:-
I. Sensitizing workers on OSH issues e.g. proper usage of provided personal
protective equipment.
II. First Aid, Fire Safety and General Behavioral Safety and Health awareness.
III. Printing and distributing safety promotional materials to employees such as fliers and Safety charts.
IV. Identifying occupational hazards and cases of ill health among workers at the workplace and take corrective action;
V. Conducting fire drills and Emergency Evacuation drills.
VI. organizing contests on occupational safety and health;
VII. Organizing assessment and evaluation of workplace First aiders, Fire wardens and safety champions.
Am grateful to have witness the teams I have trained win national safety championship eg GSU, Crown Paints, English Press(The team on the photo attached) etc.
Join me in the mission of helping build a culture of safety and wellness at all places and Let us continually improve Safety and Health in our Workplaces.
