CNSM notes with concern that state of occupational security and health worsens

In the first half of this year the State Labour Inspectorate (ISM) recorded 216 accidents, 24 cases more than the same period last year. Of these, 15 were fatal accidents (including 5 women), their number doubling compared to the first half of 2015.

According to Elena Carchilan, Chief of Labour Inspectorate of Trade Unions (IMS), an increased number of accidents at work, including fatal cases, is due to limiting the access of labour inspectors to the units imposed by the moratorium introduced by the Government on state control. Moreover, the moratorium makes it difficult the collaboration between trade union and state labour inspectors.

Since the moratorium until now, the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM) has repeatedly expressed its disagreement in this regard, arguing that this is contrary to international norms concerning safety and health at work and exposed to increased risks life and health of workers.

Assessing the work of the Labour Inspectorate of Trade Unions in the first half of 2016 Carchilan noted that labour inspectors conducted 301 visits to the units, where were recorded 4647 violations and deviations from the laws and regulations of labour. Of these, 3678 violations related to health and safety at work, and 981 – of labour relations.

Many violations are committed due to non-compliance with minimum OSH requirements in entities, admission to work of people without training in OSH, not granting of free personal protective equipment and non-assessment of risks.

“Continuous assessment of occupational risk factors at the workplace can reduce the high number of accidents and illness levels. Unfortunately, however, we found that only 44 of the 301 entities exposed for inspection assessed occupational hazards,” said Carchilan, adding that given that each employee spends one third of his life (at least 8 hours per day) at work, safety and health at work should be a priority for both the unit and the employee.

In this context, IMS chief said that trade unions have launched a series of activities to increase the capacities of persons responsible for the field in companies. They fall under the project “Enhancing the capacity of trade union experts in risk assessment in the workplace”, launched in August this year with the support of CNV Internationaal (Netherlands). Thus, at the first stage, an expert from Romania should develop and edit a guide in assessing occupational hazards in the workplace. The next phase involves the deployment of three regional seminars entitled “Training of OSH in enterprises in the occupational risk assessment at work”. In the third part of the project will be bought the necessary instruments to assess the actual state of working conditions by performing instrumental measurements and will be created a mini-mobile laboratory.

Department of mass media and international relations