Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has been satisfied with improvements of infrastructures for health and safety in steel industries in the Coast Region. The improvements were in the wake of directives that the government issued last May after an accident occurred in one of the steel industries, Fujian Hexiangwang, killing two people.
After the accident, the government, through the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA), swiftly ordered the closure of the factory and deployed a team of experts to investigate the incident.
After the investigation, the government came up with some directives to the factory which meant to improve infrastructures for health and safety at workplaces.
As the industry continued to improve the infrastructures, the government allowed it to resume operations after observing some improvements.
On Tuesday this week, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability), Ms Jenista Mhagama made another follow up to see further developments in the implementation of the directives.
“I am very pleased to see improvements as per directives given by our experts. I have learnt that the industry has implemented the directives by 70 per cent. However, still, there are issues that we still want them to do to continue improving the infrastructures, including installing facility for controlling smokes to protect environment and health of workers,” she noted.
Apart from Fujian Hexiangwang , Ms Mhagama also visited Lodhia Group of Companies. She was impressed to learn that the industry uses high tech to produce rare steels with 40 millimetres width that is also sold outside the country.
The minister however told the factory to have machinery for carrying scraps to the smelter for being smelted. The minister was accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the OSHA, Ms Khadija Mwenda, who said the authority usually makes follow-ups of its directives at workplaces to control accidents.
On his part, the Managing Director of the Lodhia Group of Companies, Mr Salesh Pandit, thanked the government for giving advice that aimed at bringing betterment for investment and rights for workers.
Mr Pandit admitted that they had many challenges on safety and health at the workplace but advice given by government experts helped the industry to improve.
