AfricaPress-Tanzania: OCCUPATIONAL Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) and Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) have strategised on effective implementation of laws guiding safety and health at workplaces.
They are keen on charting strategies for better ways of making the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2003 more effective.
Ina meeting held on Friday, CTI discussed with the OSHA on how to improve safety and health systems in the country’s industries.
Prior to the meeting, the CTI delegates led by their Executive Director, Leodegar Tenga familiarised with duties and activities of the OSHA.
“We are aware that OSHA has a hard task to ensure that workplaces are safe for workers and owners of industries are major stakeholders. “That is the reason why we are here to discuss how industrialists would effectively adhere to the law and regulations,” Mr Tenga explained shortly after the meeting.
He noted that the meeting was constructive as the CTI was open to tell OSHA what the views of its members were about the authority’s performance and how the industrialists observed the law.
“The meeting was good; we exchanged ideas openly and discussed about weaknesses openly as well, and discussed the way out. We have agreed that there was a need for industrialists to be educated more about the law,” Mr Tenga said.
According to him, the meeting was expected to bring positive results, especially to increase understanding between the two sides.
On his part, OSHA Acting Executive Officer, Khadija Mwenda told the owners of industries that there were still a lot of challenges in industries over implementing safety and health guidelines.
“I would therefore like you too to be informed that safety measures at our industries are not satisfactory, and that is why we have come up with a programme called ‘Vision Zero’ which seeks to avoid accidents at workplaces,” Ms Mwenda told the delegates.
One of industrialists, Ms Veronica Mbazingwa from Chemicotex, said the meeting was a good opportunity for them to get to know more about the OSHA and how it works, to help investors especially on how to ensure that safety and health are assured at workplaces.
