Mozambique: Reported average of 525 work accidents per year ‘far from reality’

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Mozambique: Reported average of 525 work accidents per year ‘far from reality’

2:54 CAT | 29 Apr 2022

Photo: Ministério do Trabalho e Segurança Social

The Minister of Labour and Social Security, Margarida Adamugi Talapa, says that the government is engaged in actions to raise awareness among employers and workers with a view to guaranteeing greater hygiene, safety and health at work and preventing the occurrence of accidents of an occupational nature.

In fact, Margarida Talapa mentioned that Mozambique registers an average of 525 occupational accidents per year, a statistic she considers worrying.

For example, in 2021, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security received 600 notifications about the occurrence of occupational accidents, which resulted in 22 deaths, 471 cases of temporary incapacity, 91 cases of partial permanent incapacity and 18 cases of total permanent incapacity.

The Minister of Labour says, however, that studies on accidents at work in Mozambique indicate that the numbers mentioned above are far from reality, since many companies do not report accidents at work.

Minister Talapa presented the figures on Thursday in her opening speech at the 5th National Conference on Safety and Health at Work in Moatize, Tete, marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, whose theme this year is “Acting together to build a positive safety and health culture”.

“We intend to jointly reflect on the problem of this situation in our country, renewing our commitment to guarantee respect for the dignity of the worker, not only the postulates of international law but also those provided for in our mother law, the Constitution of the Republic,” Minister Talapa told the 250 conference participants present, plus a larger audience on Ministry of Labour and Social Security digital platforms.

According to the leader of the labour and social security sector, the primary benefit of the event would be creating a general awareness among employers and workers to guarantee safety and health in the workplace.

“This forum, in which we find ourselves today, is one of the mechanisms through which we intend to raise the awareness of employers and workers about the importance of promoting safety and health at work, both for the employer and the worker, as well as for the whole community and society in general,” Minister Talapa explained.

The 5th National Conference on Safety and Health at Work was also the stage for an exhibition of around 10 companies aimed at promoting good practice in terms of safety and health at work.

Source: Ministério do Trabalho e Segurança Social / Media Release