Dy Premier stresses Bahrain's care for safety of workers

Manama : Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa stressed the government’s care for the health and safety of workers, who are the core of the nation’s development. 

He was speaking as he patronised the opening of the third edition of the National Occupational Safety and Health Conference and Exhibition, which was organised by the Labour and Social Development Ministry at the Gulf Hotel’s Conference Centre under the theme “Towards an Effective Management of Work Environment Risk.”

The Deputy Premier stressed the need to exert more efforts to reduce work accidents. He underlined the importance of organising awareness campaigns, intensifying training sessions and boosting the role of the risk management directorates in companies to lower the rates of accidents at work sites.

Shaikh Khalid also pointed out a decrease in the rate of work accidents over the past years, which reflects efficiency of the government procedures to protect workers and ensure their safety. He added the Labour and Social Development Ministry has been keen to organise the conference at a time that coincides with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is celebrated on April 28, and the World Labour Day on May 1.

The opening of the two-day conference was attended by Ministers, senior officials, invitees and more than 300 participants.

Meanwhile, Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel Humaidan pointed out a decrease in occupational accidents by 50 per cent compared to the previous years. 

He stressed growing commitment to the summer outdoor work ban in hottest hours at construction sites that reached 98.7pc in 2015. 

He pointed out the Ministry’s keenness to boost occupational safety and health by carrying out inspection visits to around 2,000 labour homes nationwide to assess their compliance with the safety standards.

The Minister also thanked the Deputy Premier for patronising the conference.