On the occasion of the ‘National Occupational Health and Safety Day-2023’ the Bangladesh Post on Saturday ran a story headlined ‘‘Workplace safety a crying need’, saying the issue of safety at workplace still remains one of the greatest challenges in less economically developed countries.
A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental right for workers and crucial for sustainable development as well. This year’s theme for the National Occupational Health and Safety Day is ‘Ensure a decent working environment, build a smart Bangladesh.’
The government under the dynamic and prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is pledged to ensure occupational safety. To this end, the government has been observing the National Occupational Health and Safety Day on April 28 every year since 2016, taking occupational health and safety as an important issue for all industries.
But the fact is that most of the workplaces across the country still remain unsafe. As a result, many workers met the tragic end of their lives at their respective workplace caused by various accidents including fire and explosion.
There is no alternative
to creating awareness among
people at all levels about
occupational health and safety
Lack of strict monitoring system, fire extinguishing system, emergency exit, and non-approval of the concerned department to run the factory, and unskilled workforce were the reasons for fire, explosion and other accident accidents.
Besides, many institutions and organisations lack strict policies against sexual harassment. Therefore, some people take advantage and tend to harass their female colleagues.
Health service and safety at the workplace are the legal rights of labourers and there is no alternative to ensuring a safe work environment for them. So, the issue of compliance with safety rules at the workplace, ensuring a safe work environment has become very important worldwide in the recent time to ensure sustainable development.
There is no alternative to create awareness among people at all levels about occupational health and safety. Integrated efforts of all the government and non-government entities concerned can be the crucial means of ensuring occupational safety and legitimate rights of the people. Therefore, all stakeholders including workers and owners have to make sincere efforts in ensuring occupational health protection and safe work environment in the country.
