The Occupational Safety And Health Workshop.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) in collaboration with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) convened the inaugural Public Service Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) capacity-building workshop from the 25th to the 27th of February 2025, at Senga Training Institute in Gweru. The workshop which follows the Fourth Quarter Bipartite Consultative Workshop with workers’ representatives that was held in December 2024 in Nyanga, is anchored on fostering best practices, legal frameworks and knowledge skills related to OSH. The workshop was an initiative that contributes to the OSH legal framework, which currently excludes the public service in its coverage. The programme provided a platform for government and workers’ representatives to contribute to the impending OSH bill to ensure the public service is represented at all levels.
The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCOPSTU) President, Mrs C. Alexander, hailed the government for expeditiously prioritising and recognising the dire need of the civil servants, particularly the workplace health and safety as OSH is a fundamental right. She further encouraged the NJNC and PSC to lobby the expedition of the legal framework process to ensure that all concerns are addressed and represented.

In his remarks, the PSC Head, Pay and Benefits Agency and Government Team Leader for the National Joint Ne gotiation Council (NJNC), Mr. N. Machinjike, accentu ated the imperative of OSH in the workplace ecosystem, citing that the initiative does not only upscale the wel fare of the employees as it also optimise performance in the public service.

“The safety and well-being of public sector workers is paramount not only for their individual health but also for the efficient and effective delivery of services,” he said. He further reinforced that the practice of good OSH enhances global competitiveness and supports sustainable development while reducing health care and compensation costs.

The major highlights of the presentations were premised on a plethora of topics such as Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA); International OSH Standards; Fire Prevention and Control Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning. These presentations significantly laid a robust foundation for the OSH bill contributions. Facilitators emphasised the importance of technology integration into Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) advancements, which are pivotal in enhancing effectiveness and efficiency to vital strategies adoption.
The workshop was also handy in endowing various Government ministries that face high risks and hazards in the execution of their mandates with representations from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Ministry of Local Governance, Public Works and National Housing, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Upon the climax of the OSH workshop, all participants received their certificates. He further reinforced that the practice of good OSH enhances global competitiveness and supports sustainable development while reducing health care and compensation costs. The major highlights of the presentations were premised on a plethora of topics such as Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA); International OSH Standards; Fire Prevention and Control Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning. These presentations significantly laid a robust foundation for the OSH bill contributions. Facilitators emphasised the importance of technology integration into Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) advancements, which are pivotal in enhancing effectiveness and efficiency to vital strategies adoption. Participants following proceedings during the OSH Workshop at  Senga Training Institute in Gweru.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) continues to foster a culture of safety and health in the public service by formulating awareness raising programs.