Background and justification
The informal sector and the small scale enterprises constitute a rapid economic growth point in most countries, industrialised and developing countries. While industrialised countries are able to initiate appropriate strategies for these categories of employment, this is not possible in the developing and newly industrialised countries, most of which have rudimentary occupational health and safety programmes.
Knowledge of the characteristics of the informal sector and the SSE is scant and estimates of the proportion of the employed working in this sector vary between 12 and 60%. A recent survey of informal workers in Zimbabwe reported a rate of work related symptoms of illness in excess of 10%.
Problems that exist for southern Africa within the informal and small scale enterprises include:
- Poor characterisation of the sectors
- Poor health and safety practice and service provision
- Poor enforcement of existing legislation
- Lack of economically viable intervention strategies to promote worker health
The primary task for the development of occupational health and safety programmes in this sector is the raising of awareness of hazards to health among employers and workers. Only following a successful awareness programme, will possibilities exist for the implementation of intervention strategies for protecting the health of workers.
Objectives
- Typical risk levels for chemical, dust, ergonomic and noise hazards and occupational injuries estimated/quantified
- Improved factory inspections methods for hazard control and risk reduction
- An OSH policy aimed at SSEs endorsed by SADC
(This section has been shortened: please see WAHSA Phase I protocol for full text)
Indicators for objectives? attainment
- Assessment of risks and health outcomes in two informal small scale enterprises centres in South Africa and another SADC country by end of year two. Assessments in at least two other informal SSE centres by end of year three
- Interventions implemented in at least two centres by mid year three with report on the effectiveness of the interventions by end of Phase 1
- A network of key policy stakeholders in OSH established and a regional workshop to determine policy directions for this sector held by year two. End of year three broad frameworks/discussion documents for regional policy for this sector submitted to SADC
- OSH policy developed and presented to SADC, including a plan for its implementation
Activities
- During first two years information packages and training course manuals and programmes developed. By end of year two at least four one-week courses held in four different countries in the region
- Appointment of primary centres for interventions
- Stakeholder planning meetings in the two primary centres to develop general awareness raising materials, training programmes and seminars for employers and employees and training programmes for inspectorate agencies and health officers
- Production and distribution of awareness and training materials
- Conduct risk assessments and health evaluations in the two primary centres, to be repeated at additional centres subsequently
- Identification of key workplaces within the primary centres for the implementation of intervention programmes
- Assessment of possible intervention programmes
- Implementation of selected interventions and audit of the interventions
- Development of a draft policy, making use of among other sources the ILO guidelines on OSH management systems
Target group
The specific target group will be employers, workers and self-employed in informal small scale enterprises located within the participating centres. Labour inspectors and local government are also target groups. National governments in SADC are target groups for policy development.