Government is fast-tracking initiatives to enhance workplace safety, aiming to maximize efficiency in the nation’s workforce, according to Special Advisor to the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), Oliver Boachie.

In remarks during the Health, Environment, Safety and Security Awards (HESS) 5th edition, he intimated that the efforts will place particular emphasis on the growing sphere of remote work.

At the event, which was under the theme ‘Building a sustainable future of work through Health, Environment, Safety, and Security’, he said: “Workplace safety is a fundamental right of every employee… To address this issue, government is ramping up efforts to guarantee oversight institutions are strengthened to ensure compliance with safety regulations and promote occupational safety. These institutions, which are shortly to have a centralised command, will continue to conduct regular inspections, provide training programme’ss on occupational safety, and collaborate with industry associations to develop sector-specific safety guidelines”.

With recent data revealing that workplace accidents have been on the ascendancy in recent times, perhaps due to increased reporting of these incidents, Mr. Boachie added that the state is also strengthening legal frameworks to hold employers accountable for providing a safe and secure working environment.

“This alarming trend not only leads to human suffering for workers and their families, but also hampers productivity and economic growth. To reinforce our commitment, we are also strengthening the legal framework to hold employers accountable for providing a safe and secure working environment. We will continue to prioritise safety measures, enforce regulations and cultivate a culture of safety-consciousness to mitigate these risks,” he noted.

Director for Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Hamidu Adakurugu – representing the sector-minister Ignatius Baffour, stressed the need to raise awareness among businesses regarding workplace health, environment, safety and security issues, as they play a vital role in fostering a sustainable safety and health culture.

He said many businesses perceive safety and health as a mere matter of compliance rather than means to establish standards, resulting in a concerning number of work-related injuries and accidents over the years.

To address this, he emphasised the continuous strengthening of occupational safety and health management systems (OSHE) interventions to enhance safety and health in the workplace. “Ensuring OSHE will ensure that recent recurrent disasters such as fire outbreaks, gas explosions and road accidents are curtailed to the barest minimum. We must continue to place a high premium on human lives and celebrate individuals and corporate organisations which have demonstrated their capacity and willingness to protect lives,” Mr. Adakurugu added.

This comes as recent studies show that workplace-related health issues account for a significant portion of the global fatality-burden, with nearly 2.8 million workers losing their lives each year due to occupational accidents and diseases. An additional 374 million workers suffer from non-fatal occupational accidents.

The Events Director for HESS Awards, Isaac Adu-Gyamfi, expressed that the event’s purpose extends beyond merely acknowledging achievements, emphasising the goal of creating a significant impact. “Our gathering is not merely about receiving; it is about our duty to create a sustainable, fair and just world that enables every individual to lead a healthy and meaningful life,” he noted.