The Deputy Director of Labour Inspectorate in the Ministry of Justice and Labour Reform, Henock Amukwa, called for the development of clear national policies, systems and legal frameworks to support the ongoing improvement of occupational health and safety in the workplace.

Amukwa made this call during the Occupational Safety and Health Bill workshop held in the capital.

The workshop to validate the Occupational Safety and Health Bill is a crucial step towards the country's ongoing commitment to safeguarding the health, safety, and dignity of every worker across the nation.

The proposed law aims to protect workers by ensuring that their working environment is safe, healthy, and free from hazards that can cause accidents and injuries.

The two-day workshop is to refine the bill to serve as a backbone of the country's efforts to foster safer workplaces, promote healthy cultures and hold everyone accountable for their role in promoting workplace safety.

Amukwa says that occupational health and safety is just not a matter of compliance or technical policy but is fundamental to human rights.

"Every employee, regardless of their sector status or setting, deserves to return home from work in the same condition in which they arrived. Ensuring a safe and healthy working environment is not only a moral and legal obligation but also a cornerstone of decent work and sustainable development. Namibia is at the advanced stage of ratifying key international instruments. In particular, the ILO Convention No. 155 on occupational safety and health."

The Secretary General of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Job Muniaro, said that the bill will protect the lives and livelihoods of the workers by reducing injuries at workplaces as well as improve productivity and promote accountability among employers.