AMMAN - Legislation governing health and safety in the workplace are in compliance with international standards, but adherence to these laws does not meet aspirations, according to a labour report released on Saturday.
Issued by the Phoenix Centre for Economic and International Studies in cooperation with the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) office in Amman, the report urged authorities to intensify inspections and penalties against institutions that violate occupational safety and health regulations.
"Social Security Corporation (SSC) figures on workplace injuries indicate that the figure declined from 2.5 per 1,000 workers in 2006 to 2.0 per 1,000 in 2010, but labour ministry records show that nearly 20,000 work injuries took place in 2010, resulting in the death of 100 workers, while 1,500 suffered complete disability, costing the economy nearly JD80 million," the report said.
Phoenix Centre Director Ahmad Awad told The Jordan Times that the report seeks to evaluate the workplace safety and health vis-à-vis the legislative environment governing this sector and provide decision makers with a complete perspective so measures can be taken to address violations.
"Workplace safety and health are basic rights of workers and they are guaranteed by the Constitution as well as relevant laws and regulations. We hope the recommendations mentioned in the report will be taken into consideration by the relevant authorities to put an end to the daily risks many workers face because of their careless employers," he said.
Awad attributed the difference in the figures released by the ministry and the SSC to the fact that many employers still have not registered their institutions with the SSC, while others refuse to report work injuries in order to avoid accountability for not abiding by safety regulations.
The report underlined that non-adherence to safety regulations in the workplace is mainly due to lack of awareness among employers of the importance of providing their employees with basic safety requirements, and called on the authorities to increase field visits and lectures to enlighten employers and employees on the proper safety practices.
The report also recommended stiffening penalties against employers and institutions found violating regulations governing the labour sector, including health and safety rules, and increasing the number of labour inspectors specialised in checking on the safety environment.
Moreover, the report called for allocating a percentage of revenues generated by employers to improve health and safety programmes.
According to the report, 41 per cent of work injuries that occurred last year were in the manufacturing industries, 11.9 per cent in the retail sector, 11.7 per cent in the construction field, 7.4 per cent in the tourism industry, 3.6 per cent in the water, gas and electricity supply sector, and 3.2 per cent in the transportation, storage and telecommunications spheres.
© Jordan Times 2011
