Towards a safer work environment: 3M organises regional awareness campaign
Saturday, 7 September 2013 00:00
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The Personal Safety Division of global innovation giant 3M, recently held a full day workshop at Heritage Resort, Badulla on occupational safety and health with the support of the Industrial Safety Division of the Department of Labour, Sri Lanka. 3M conducted the workshop as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) project to raise awareness on occupational health and safety among employers and decision makers of large scale local industries in the Uva Province.
The participants represented many sectors such as tea, sugar, dairy, quarry, wood and construction industries and mining. Representatives from the Road Development Authority, Ceylon Electricity Board, Department of Irrigation, Water Supply and Drainage Board, Uva Provincial Council and Public Health Inspectors etc., attended the event.
Participants were highly appreciative of 3M’s initiatives in addressing these vital issues. Uma Oya Multi Purpose Project Safety Manager Pushpakumara participating in the event stated: “It is through 3M we received the knowledge on high standard personal protective equipment available in the local market.”
The workshop focused on workplace accidents and personal safety equipment. It created a discussion on safety measures, responsibilities of employers and decision makers to ensure safety in the workplace, and laws and regulations in the country to safeguard the labour force. Addressing the workshop, Department of Labour District Factory Inspecting Engineer of the Industrial Safety Division S.N.B.M. Padmasiri said: “The cause for most common work related accidents is either malpractices among the workers or not using proper personal protective equipment. In Sri Lanka, the highest rates of occupational injuries are reported on construction sites.”
3M Sri Lanka Professional Services Engineer Shayan Appuhamy addressed the workshop on topics related to selecting standardised personal protective equipment, proper methods and usages to avoid acute and chronic work place injuries. He stated: “Redundancy of the labour force due to occupational injuries has a direct impact on the industry as well as on the country’s economy.” He emphasised that currently we do not have product standards and occupational safety guidelines for Sri Lanka. Also we do not have a regulatory body to regulate imports and manufacturing of personal protective equipment. “However, it is high time for us to identify the need of safety in the workplace and arm the workforce accordingly,” he stressed.
3M hopes to conduct many such workshops island-wide in industrial zones and construction sites where there is a high risk of occupational accidents. Appuhamy added: “This time, we selected the Uva province to conduct this workshop as there is a risk factor related to factories such as tea, rubber and sugar. These awareness workshops help employers and workers to understand the gravity of the problem,” he concluded.
