The State and Workplace Safety in Ghana: Examining the role of the Department of Factories Inspectorate in the Tema Industrial Area SAMSON OBED APPIAH
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ABSTRACT
Safety in industry is an important concern for all-wage earners, employers and the society and the state as a whole. This is because accidents or workplace injuries affect not only the worker but also the social partners in industry, namely the union, management and the state. In the view of rapid industrialization in developing countries during the past decade, there is now the need to introduce more comprehensive labour legislations that include regulation on employee safety and health. However, even where these safety regulations are provided, it is necessary to emphasize that they can only be effective in ensuring workplace safety when employees are aware of and comply appropriately with them. More importantly, it is only when such regulations are well enforced by employers (supervisors) and the statutory enforcement agencies mandated for doing so. This paper examines the role of the Department of Factories Inspectorate in the enforcement and inspection of the safety legislations and regulations in Ghana, using data from a 2013 study conducted in the Tema Industrial Area. With the use of semi-structured questionnaires administered to the employees of the Pioneer Food Cannery, key informant interviews with five supervisors of the company and five officials of the Department of Factories Inspectorate in Tema and a two day non-participant observation of the company, the study revealed that the role of the Department in inspection and enforcement workplace safety was poor, ineffective and infrequent. This was due to the fact that the department is under-staffed; there is inadequate budgetary support as well as inadequate skills and knowledge by inspectors to meet new technologies in the manufacturing industry. These findings have practical implications for employees, unions, employers and the government
สถานะและที่ทำงานปลอดภัยในกานา: ตรวจสอบบทบาทของแผนกของโรงงาน Inspectorate ใน Tema อุตสาหกรรมตั้งแซมสัน OBED APPIAH1 บทคัดย่อSafety in industry is an important concern for all-wage earners, employers and the society and the state as a whole. This is because accidents or workplace injuries affect not only the worker but also the social partners in industry, namely the union, management and the state. In the view of rapid industrialization in developing countries during the past decade, there is now the need to introduce more comprehensive labour legislations that include regulation on employee safety and health. However, even where these safety regulations are provided, it is necessary to emphasize that they can only be effective in ensuring workplace safety when employees are aware of and comply appropriately with them. More importantly, it is only when such regulations are well enforced by employers (supervisors) and the statutory enforcement agencies mandated for doing so. This paper examines the role of the Department of Factories Inspectorate in the enforcement and inspection of the safety legislations and regulations in Ghana, using data from a 2013 study conducted in the Tema Industrial Area. With the use of semi-structured questionnaires administered to the employees of the Pioneer Food Cannery, key informant interviews with five supervisors of the company and five officials of the Department of Factories Inspectorate in Tema and a two day non-participant observation of the company, the study revealed that the role of the Department in inspection and enforcement workplace safety was poor, ineffective and infrequent. This was due to the fact that the department is under-staffed; there is inadequate budgetary support as well as inadequate skills and knowledge by inspectors to meet new technologies in the manufacturing industry. These findings have practical implications for employees, unions, employers and the government
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