2. To formulate acts, laws, code of practice, guides, instructions and
standards for the promotion of safety and health at work and workplace.
To facilitate regular and organized workplace inspection and monitoring
for effective implementation of the legal provisions of workplace
improvement
To get established as training center equipped with necessary training
resources
To facilitate regular and organized workplace monitoring and advisory
services on options for potential workplace improvement for protection
and promotion of the safety and health of the workers.
To get established as an information center processing all the
information for the protection and promotion of the safety and health of
the workers and to establish appropriate mechanism for the
dissemination of the information
3. To develop the culture of Promotion and
protection of the physical, mental and social
health and well being and physical safety of the
workers in any occupation and for which to
develop the project as a center capable with
resources and equipment to enable the
industries to utilize all possible options for
potential improvement of their workplace.
Further, to develop the project as a full fledged
autonomous institution by the end of tenth five
year plan.
4. To develop policy, institutional tripartite
mechanism and operational infrastructure for
the protection and promotion of safety and
health of the workers and prevention, control
and / or minimization of two main workplace
issues – occupational accidents and diseases
adversely affecting production and productivity,
directly as well as indirectly and to establish
tripartite cooperation for the protection and
promotion, Control and minimization of
occupational accidents and diseases
5. Conducting training has been one of the
effective tools in imparting basic and practical
knowledge on occupational safety and health
that the project has been carrying out. These
programs have been framed out as gateway to
occupational safety and health and workplace
improvement for the industries in Nepal. The
two major target groups of such training
programs are:
Workers / employees and
Managers
6. 1.Labor act 2048 (1992)
Section 5 of Chapter II of the Labor Act restricts to employ to work
any minor or a woman unless otherwise prescribed during the hours
between 6.00 pm and 6.00am. Chapter III of this Act contains sections
16–20 which provide restrictions on the working hours for the worker. It
limits the working hours for adults to no more than eight hours a day or
forty-eight hours a week. It provides for a weekly holiday with pay and
compulsory intervals of rest. It also provides overtime payment and
restricts to allow workers for overtime for more than four hours a day but
not exceeding twenty hours a week. Chapter V of this Act contains
sections 27–36, which entirely pertain to the health and safety of workers
in the establishment. They prescribe arrangements for sanitation and
cleanliness, modern lavatories, disposal and destruction of waste,
adequate ventilation and lighting, and control of temperature, protection
from dust, fumes and other impurities, avoidance of overcrowding in any
room of the establishment, provisions for drinking water and
extinguishing fire.
7. .Present 3-year interim plan (2064-2067)
Present interim plan has set some strategic programs and
visions to make workplace safe, healthy and productive by promoting
and developing occupational safety and health as an integral part of all
the industrial enterprises and workplaces. Government of Nepal allocates
about 20 million rupees annual budget for occupational safety and health
project. Occupational Safety and Health Project sets following programs
to be implemented as the integral part of the project.
• Training program on occupational safety and health for social
partners.
• Capacity enhancement training program for officers affiliated with
occupational safety and health.
• Orientation program for employers.
• Awareness enhancement programs on industrial accidents.
• Educational program on HIV/AIDS and STDs at work places.
• Labor education programs
8. The promotion towards the sound occupational safety and health environment in Nepalese
industries is showing reluctance because of different barriers as follows:
•Lack of knowledge and awareness among workers
•Lack of awareness and commitment in employers and management
•Fear of change and of cost increase (Management)
•Poor consultation system
•Majority of untrained people both in management and labor
•No safety-friendly work culture (both workers & management)
•Lack of research and data-base on occupational diseases and health hazards. There are
some provisions related to OSH in policy level, but unfortunately, the provisions are not
much effective in practice and still need a lot of awareness campaign and effort. Factories
have never taken care of minimum OSH standards provisioned in the law. Weak labor
administration and ineffective enforcement mechanism of the government needs a
boosting improvement in order to build the capacity to control the situation.
Though, achieving zero accident situations may not become possible for industrial
sector, exemplary safety records can be achieved. The industrial sector can be made better
with healthy human resource, more efficient work, fewer fatalities and lower
environmental impacts through applying following strategies in every industry:
•Developing training modules, formal training and orientation
•Formation and mobilization of safety committees in each workplace and enterprises
9. •Periodic situational survey, hazard analysis and pre-project planning for safety
•Safety incentive programs
•Minimum employ turnover
•Involvement of top management in safety issues
•Sound industrial relation
•Sincere implementation of collective bargaining agreements
•Sound inspection form labor administration. Similarly, the concerned stake
holders such as government, trade unions and NGOs or INGOs concerning to the
occupational safety and health should be active in the following activities:
•Partnership among trade unions, employers and government for training
programs on OSH.
•Research for problem identification
•Awareness program for safe and clean workplace and healthy life
•Implementing partnership with employers for sound workplace management
•Pressurizing for waste and sewage management
•Joining hands with international Agencies like ILO for works in cooperation on
OSH
•Cooperation with genuine NGOs on the issue of OSH and environment