Soeharto wants improvement of work safety
Soeharto wants improvement of work safety
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto wants employers and workers alike to improve their awareness of health and occupational safety in the workplace in efforts to boost productivity and efficiency.
"We realize that the application of science and technology in the production process brings the risk of dangers, such as occupational accidents and diseases, explosions, fires and environmental pollution. It has often been the case that when sophisticated production tools are damaged they claim human victims," he said.
"Industry also has often caused disease and environmental pollution," he said in his address opening a national convention on health and occupational safety at the State Palace here yesterday.
Present at the meeting were several cabinet ministers, as well as around 500 participants of the seminar. Also present were 74 representatives of companies, which received the Zero Accidents and Paramakarya awards for their performance in terms of improving productivity and occupational safety over the last three years.
Soeharto said many businessmen and workers still have to boost their awareness of the importance of health and occupational safety.
"Many employers have not yet realized the importance of health and occupational safety and many workers have refused to use the safety equipment provided to protect them from possible dangers," Soeharto said.
The President also pointed out that many employers were reluctant to provide safety equipment for workers because they considered them costly.
According to statistics at the Ministry of Manpower, occupational accidents in the workplace reached a total of 17,775 in 1994, killing 303 workers and injuring over 13,000. Most of the accidents occurred in the construction, transportation and chemical sectors.
Soeharto said that workers' health and safety should be taken care of to ensure the production process and improve productivity.
"But we must realize that maintaining health and occupational safety at workplaces aims not only at improving productivity and efficiency, but also at protecting workers from occupational accidents and helping maintain their health," he said.
Soeharto said the health and occupational safety movement should be generally accepted and fully practiced in workplaces to accelerate the industrialization process.
"Industrialization requires high quality human resources because an industry constitutes a production process that utilizes science and technology," he said.
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief, speaking at the first session of the three-day seminar held at the Horizon Hotel in Ancol, North Jakarta, later in the day, said that the government would continue to step up the information campaign to raise the awareness of employers and workers about health and occupational safety.
He said the campaign is being carried out intensively in small-scale and medium-scale companies, which employ the most of workers.
"Most of the 1994 occupational accidents occurred in small- scale and medium-sized companies," he said.
He added that almost all of the big plants had health and safety facilities. (rms)