KINGSTON, Jamaica — State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Zavia Mayne is calling on employers to continuously improve their occupational safety and health (OSH) measures in order to increase productivity in the workplace.

“Productivity and occupational safety and health should never be viewed as competing objectives. An unsafe workplace can lead to loss of work time, severe legal and medical costs, damaged products and increased insurance,” Mayne said.

He referenced an International Labour Organization (ILO) survey, which indicates that, every year approximately 340 million occupational accidents occur and 160 million workers suffer from work-related illnesses globally.

The state minister said that going forward, we must not only equip our students with specialised skills for the world of work, but also reinforce the importance of safety and health for their wellbeing.

He was speaking at a Production and Operations Management Virtual Conference under the theme “Workplace Safety and Wellness: The Implications for Employee Productivity in Jamaica”.

Meanwhile, Senior Director for Occupational Safety and Health Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Marlon Mahon said that these figures are far too high and more should be done to safeguard the health and safety of workers. He pointed out that occupational accidents can have dire consequences on the injured worker, employer and government.