Briggs Industrial Footwear, a leader in industrial safety footwear aiming to be at the forefront of latest developments and product innovation, on Friday re-launched its industrial safety footwear on the Ghanaian market.

The company had been around for four generations and celebrated its 60th year of specialising in safety footwear last year.

Mr. Paul Jones of Briggs of the UK said the company caters for all safety footwear requirements. It sources products from all over the world with 110,000 pairs in their UK central warehouse and despatches over 90% of goods a day. They produce non-metallic footwear, non-slip footwear, firemen's footwear, miners' footwear, reflective footwear and all their footwear are compliant with the latest European CE Standards.

It produces specialist products also for every environment, including miners' boots with quality leather uppers, breathable linings with arch support and heat resistant soles of up to 300?C.

According to Mr. Stephen Ankamah Lomotey, Principal Inspector of Factories, section 25 of Act 328 of factories, offices and shops Act 1970 states categorically that if a person is employed in a process, which involves excessive exposure, to wet or to any injurious or offensive substance, he must be provided with suitable protective clothing.

The type of clothing or appliance required would depend on the substances involved in the process.

Mr. Lomotey, who was speaking at the relaunch of the Briggs Industrial Footwear stated that many workers in Ghana sustain injuries, disease or even die in the course of their work everyday.

"These incidents occur because workers work under unsafe conditions, which include poor design of machinery and work systems, inadequate safety measurers, inadequate training and information, and inadequate supervision," he added.

According to him, the National Occupational Safety Health (OSH) laws were weak and not properly enforced.

He said occupational accidents and diseases remain the most serious human problems of modern industry and one of the most serious forms of economic waste.

OSH has, as its main goal to create a working environment free from accidents and deals with man's safety and health in relation to his work and working environment.

He explained that in times past, the OSH had not been a priority for many unions; job security and wage issues had been of more immediate concern.

He hinted that a healthy and safe workplace would help improve working relation, reduce costs and boost the morale of workers, which would eventually result in increased productivity and reduced labour turnover.

Mr. Lomotey took this opportunity to advise all industries in the country to avail themselves of the opportunity of supplying better footwear to their employees in a bid to prevent injury and its resultant costs, making the workplace safer and healthier occupationally.