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)