Tema industrial accidents claim 10 lives

Ten persons died while 110 others sustained various degrees of injury in industrial accidents in Tema in three years.

“In 2011, five people lost their lives whiles 40 persons got injured. But in 2012, the total number of deaths reported decreased to two and injuries increased to 50. In 2013 three lost their lives with 20 sustaining injuries,” Dr Stephen Ankamah-Lomotey, Metropolitan Director of Factories, told the Ghana News Agency, at the weekend.

Dr Lomotey said his outfit is intensifying its training programmes to increase awareness in various industrial establishments for workers and managers to know the dangers they are exposed to.

He said most of the multinational establishments in Tema comply with the stipulated health and safety rules and regulations but the Indian and Chinese firms put profit above the safety of their workers.

According to him, the health and safety environment is dynamic and fast paced, and called for resources to upgrade the knowledge of workers to be abreast of the prevailing circumstances.

“We do not have a legal section that can help us compel companies to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations. We need resources to do monitoring because without that people will easily overlook health and safety issues which are serious labour and human rights.”

Dr. Lomotey appealed to the government to make health and safety a priority; because apart from ensuring that workers work in conducive environments, it could also rake in a lot of revenue.

The Factories Inspectorate Division is mandated under Act 328, to inspect all occupations and to make sure that safety standards are observed by ensuring routine inspection and investigating all reportable accidents to prevent reoccurrence.