When it comes to issues concerning industrial and construction workers, the health and safety aspects should receive top priority, said Labour Commissioner K Biju.

He was inaugurating the international seminar and exhibition ‘Surakshitham 2018’, organised by the Occupational Safety and Health 2018, on ‘vision zero practical solution’ to create an awareness among workers and management on the topics that are hazardous to the health and security of the labourers in the industrial and construction sector, here on Saturday.

“The developed nations give prime importance to the issues pertaining to the safety of labourers at the workplace and the work-related health problems. Many things have to be done to ensure the safety of the workers in the unorganised sector. The conference, being organised in association with the work safety sector of Germany, will give us an insight into the best models implemented in the sectors. More preference should be given to preventive methods and training. Also, the workers should be provided with better equipment, he said.

Delivering the keynote address, Karl Gaines Notel, president of the International Social Security Association, said mishaps at workplaces can be avoided if the seven vital rules in the ‘Vision Zero International Strategies’ are followed properly. The guidelines can be downloaded from the website of International Social Security Association free of cost, he said.

Experts from Germany led the sessions in the seminar organised by the statutory German social insurance agency, which is into the safety at workplaces in Germany, in association with the Factories and Boilers Department. Eva Maria Hofer took classes on German social accident insurance, while Karl Gaines Notel took a class on the accidents in workplaces.

Jens Joling led a session on global safety issues in the construction sector; Christian Felton on the transport issues in the construction sector; Indo-German focal point representative K K Sahu on safety, social security and work skill development; and Bernard Merc led a session on the best global models in the construction sector.

A podium discussion on the safety issues of production and construction sectors was also held.
Around 4,000 representatives from the construction and industrial sectors and management across the state participated in the programme.

For safe workspace
The international seminar and exhibition ‘Surakshitham 2018’ was organised to create an awareness among workers and management on the topics that are hazardous to the health and security of the labourers in the industrial and construction sector
A podium discussion on the safety issues of production and construction sectors was also held