3M to promote workplace safety during National Safety Week 2013

Wednesday, 9 October 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cementing 40 years of leadership in workplace protection, 3M is co-sponsoring several events in the run up to National Safety Week, in the second week of October, following a Cabinet paper submitted in 2009.

An estimated 1750 work-related accidents are reported for a year in Sri Lanka, according to the Department of Labour, suggesting that the total number of occupational accidents is grossly underreported. The annual National Safety Conference, held on 9 October at the Galadari Hotel, aims to focus on the prevention of occupational diseases and injury. “Many people are unaware of the dangers that can befall them at the workplace. Our goal is to create awareness and focus attention on work-related accidents,” said National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Director General Dr. Champika Amarasinghe. 3M Korean Innovation Centre Technical Service Engineer for Personal Safety Dr. H.M. Jung will be a guest speaker at the event. Jung will focus on the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE), its regulatory status in the Asia Pacific region as well as the need for fit testing. Interspersed with his technical knowledge he will also discuss a practical case study on asbestos. He will also be talking of the innovative solutions that 3M has come up with in this area. “3M has made numerous advances in providing personal protective equipment for industrial use over the last 40 years. In doing so, we have made a major contribution towards local industry,” said 3M Sri Lanka Vice President Suren Rajanathan. “Our goal is to provide a safety culture in Sri Lanka. We plan to achieve this by conducting safety awareness campaigns and training, supporting employers and employees alike to identify occupational hazards in the workplace,” Rajanathan elaborated. Dr. Jung will also be speaking at the Safety Symposium held at the Galadari Hotel on 10 October, as part of 3M’s commitment towards occupational safety.

“4% of the world’s GDP is lost due to work-related accidents and diseases, while 2.3 million people die globally due to work-related causes. This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Department of Labour Deputy Commissioner of Occupational Health Dr. Vajira Palipane said. “We have invited managers from the industry to whom occupational safety and health matters. We want to educate the relevant industries about the services available to them, and so reduce the burden of work-related accidents and diseases.” Ensuring occupational safety must be a tripartite effort between the Government, employers and employees, he added. Renowned Professor David Koh will be the main speaker at the event.