Take workplace safety seriously to avert deaths

It has emerged that Kenya has laws to ensure safety of workers while at their workplace. However, ineffective implementation and lack of regular supervision continue jeopardising safety concerns for thousands of workers. The Work Injury Benefits Act, 2007 for instance, stipulates how an employee should be compensated incase of death or injury.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 outlines measures employers and employees must take to fix safety concerns. However, their implementation and awareness among employers and employees is largely wanting. Do majority of workers for example know that failure to report safety or health concerns is an offence?

Do they know that the employer cannot fire them for not reporting to work due to uncorrected safety risk?

Workplace injuries are on the rise, a fact demonstrated by the number of injured people seeking treatment in hospitals. At Kenyatta National Hospital, currently, there are about 2,223 injured workers who have filed for compensation from their employers. This is unacceptable in a country with stringent rules on workplace safety.

Compounding the problem is the conflict between defunct municipal councils and the Public Health Department, which has hampered inspection.

Majority of factories are currently not inspected for safety measures.

Ultimately, failure to enforce safety conditions mean more families are robbed of their breadwinners and employees maimed for life, therefore denying them ability to earn a living. Employers also lose productive workers while also risk losing millions of shillings in compensation and medical bills. We urge all stakeholders to do due diligence to enhance workplace safety.