African Day for Prevention of Occupational Risks: CNPS launches commemorative activities.

According to information provided by CNPS, work-related risks remain a major concern worldwide, affecting the safety and health of workers in various sectors of activity. 

The CNPS information note added that statistics from the International Labour Organisation, ILO, reveal that every year, more than 2.78 million workers lose their lives as a result of work-related accidents or illnesses, especially in high risk sectors, notably agriculture, construction, mining, manufacturing and health services.

ILO data further pointed out that this is because these sectors face a combination of physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial risks, resulting in a significant number of occupational fatalities each year. 

According to CNPS, the challenges of Occupational Safety and Health, OSH, in Africa in general and Cameroon in particular, are severe as effective occupational risk prevention standards and measures are still inadequate in many sectors, exposing workers to serious safety and health hazards.

CNPS therefore highlights the urgent need for concerted action to prevent and mitigate occupational risks, through appropriate intervention strategies to better prevent risks and guarantee the safety, health and wellbeing of workers in all sectors in general, but specifically in sectors with a high risk potential. 

The 28th edition of the African Day for the Prevention of Occupational Risk will be celebrated in Cameroon under the central theme: ‘Occupational Safety and Health in high risk potential sectors challenges and intervention strategies”. 

The sub theme is: ‘How can the informal sector and self-employed workers be taken into account in programmes to prevent work-related accidents and illnesses?’

According to CNPS, safety and health at work remain crucial issues, affecting not only workers in the formal sector, but also those in the informal sector as well as self-employed workers.

As a result, CNPS plans to strengthen actions in favour of health and safety at work in sectors of activity with a high risk potential. 

The social insurance institution will do this by working in close collaboration with public and private institutions, as well as Civil Society Organisations to develop prevention strategies for each high-risk sector, taking into account local specificities, available resources and best practices, and regularly assess the effectiveness of the prevention measures implemented, with a view to continuously improve health and safety at work, while reducing accidents and fatalities.