Prevention of Occupational Risks: It’s Prevention Month!

Prevention of Occupational Risks: It’s Prevention Month!

As usual, during the month of April, the NSIF is intensifying its sensitisation activities in the prevention of occupational risks field. This initiative is part of the celebration of the African Day for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (JAPRP). For this 27^th edition, which will be celebrated on the 28^th of April 2023, the Technical Director, Bagoura Souaïbou, gave a press briefing to launch the prevention month. The interview was held on Wednesday, the 5^th of April 2023 at the Head Office of the Social Security Institution in Yaounde.

Q1- Every year, the month of April is marked by intense activities in the field of the prevention of occupational risks carried out by your Institution. What is envisaged this year? 

 In compliance with the regulations in force, particularly Law No. 68-LF-18 of 18 November 1968 relating to the organisation of the prevention of industrial accidents and occupational diseases, the NSIF carries out missions aimed at preventing occupational risks in the various fields of activity, by supporting companies.  In close collaboration with the Inter-African Association for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (IAPRP), a sub-regional organisation for the coordination of activities relating to the prevention of occupational risks, we celebrate the African Days for the Prevention of Occupational Risks, on various topical themes, with the involvement of all the actors and partners in charge of these issues. This year, we are organising its 27^th edition on the theme: “Occupational health and safety faced with the challenge of road safety: what synergy of action between public and private actors”.  Throughout the month, the NSIF will organise a series of workshops with actors from different groups in the transport sector. As the transport sector involves several actors and the problems are not the same, the activities will be carried out by poles in order to effectively sensitise target groups, to convey messages but also to know their grievances, which will be given special attention at the end of the activities on the 28^th of April 2023.

Q2- How is this theme relevant to your Institution?

 The road transport sector today is of particular concern to public authorities and the various institutions in charge of road safety issues, due to road accidents, which cause serious harm, not only to the national economy but also in terms of loss of human life and physical and psychological ailments that generate cure costs. It is worth noting that according to the indicators of the Ministry of Transport, the trend has been downward in recent years due to the measures taken by the Government. We have gone from 1,588 deaths in 2011 to 963 deaths in 2021, and much fewer in 2022.

 Although the trend is downward, it is still alarming. It is true that the NSIF is already involved in compensation, because when a worker is a victim of an accident, it is necessary to compensate, but you know that compensation does not cure everything. Financial compensation will not bring a victim back to life if he or she is dead or has lost a limb as a result of the accident. Our goal in terms of risk prevention is to achieve zero accidents due to or at work. If the NSIF succeeds in getting all the public and private actors to join forces and set up a synergy of action, this will enable us to reverse the trend because, as the adage states, “Prevention is better than cure”.