MSME Targeted OSH Inspections Reveal Serious OSH Deficits
A total of 205 workplaces were inspected
An Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) inspection exercise conducted by the European Union funded Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme into Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has revealed serious OSH deficits that need to be addressed to ensure the attainment of decent jobs and sustainable economic development.
A total of 205 workplaces were inspected in Blantyre, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Zomba, Nsanje, Balaka, Machinga, Chikwawa, Neno, Chiradzulu, Mwanza and Mangochi districts where just a few workplaces were deemed to be compliant to Occupational Safety and Health measures while several others were lacking.
The inspection exercise was conducted from 18 to 31 June 2023 and its focus dwelt much on business categories of the SMEs that included Mining and Quarrying, Building and Construction, Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce and Distribution.
Of the 205 workplaces that were inspected, 93 were manufacturing, 2 mining, 18 building and construction, 9 agriculture and 83 were commerce and distribution workplaces.
Zantchito project Occupational Safety and Health Expert Johanes Mandowa told Zodiak Online that some of the deficits identified, included “unguarded dangerous moving parts of machinery, risky electrical connections and installations, lack of safety education and training, exposure to physical hazards, excessive noise and vibration, exposure to chemicals, provision of personal protective clothing and equipment and ergonomic hazards such as poor workstation design.”
Mandowa said findings of these inspections will form a basis for continual improvement in the promotion and enforcement of OSH laws to ensure the attainment of decent jobs in the SMEs.
The inspections were jointly conducted by OSH and Labour officers from Ministry of Labour so as to foster the concept of integrated labour inspection.
The exercise was also handy in promoting general awareness amongst workers and employers in the MSMEs on decent work and labour laws.
The inspection further helped to explore opportunities that will be utilized to implement subsequent project deliverables such as improved general awareness on OSH laws in SME, building OSH technical capacity on OSH officers and labour officers to ensure their effectiveness in conducting integrated labour inspections and as well as building effective information packages and communication strategies for promoting decent work in MSMEs.
