Sana’a: A workshop titled ‘Occupational Safety and Health in Yemen – Towards a Safe and Productive Work Environment’ was held on Sunday at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, with the participation of a number of specialists and experts in the field of occupational safety and health.
According to Yemen News Agency, the workshop aimed to develop occupational safety and health standards across various workplaces, reduce losses and injuries that threaten workers’ safety and health, and minimize damage to equipment and financial costs borne by employers.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Minister for the Labor Sector, Ramah Hiba, highlighted the importance of promoting the concept of occupational safety and health in Yemen. He explained that the workshop was organized as part of the Ministry’s efforts to improve occupational safety standards in different workplaces and reduce human and material losses resulting from work-related accidents.
The workshop, chaired by the Deputy Minister for Labor Affairs, Abdullah Haidar, addressed three main themes. The first theme focused on the current state of occupational safety and health in Yemen, including existing laws, regulations, and policies, the main challenges in work environments, and an analysis of the current situation in public and private institutions.
The second theme emphasized local and international partnerships to leverage funding and technical support opportunities, and the development of a national program for training, awareness, and capacity building. The third theme covered the initial framework for the Occupational Safety and Health Conference, proposing the conference title: ‘Towards a Unified National Framework for Occupational Safety and Health in Yemen – Reality, Challenges, and Ambitions’, along with a draft preparatory reference document, the organizing team, and relevant stakeholders.
The workshop was attended by the Deputy Ministers for the Economic Empowerment Sector and for the Development and Marketing of Good Agricultural Production, as well as representatives of associations, cooperatives, and organizations, including Dr. Ghassan Al-Madani. The session concluded with a set of recommendations emphasizing the need to implement local occupational safety and health laws and regulations.
The recommendations stressed adherence to relevant Arab and international agreements and the execution of responsibilities assigned to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in this field, highlighting the importance of enforcing these laws in coordination with concerned authorities.
The recommendations also called on employers to fully comply with occupational safety and health standards to protect workers’ safety, prevent economic losses to the state, and avoid material damage caused by equipment malfunction or work stoppages.
Furthermore, the recommendations underlined the importance of enhancing cooperation and coordination between the Ministry, its partners, and relevant entities, working as a unified national system for occupational safety and health. This system aims to develop policies, regulations, manuals, operational mechanisms, and workforce capacity, culminating in the launch of this system during the National Occupational Safety and Health Conference scheduled for April.