The four-day inaugural training on occupational hygiene for OHS inspectors, health inspectors, medical practitioners, nurses and FNU officials opened at the Southern Cross Hotel in Suva yesterday.

Officiating at the event, Minister for Industrial Relations and Productivity Jone Usamate said the International Labour Organisation estimated that more than 2.3 million fatalities occurred as a result of occupational accidents and diseases, while 300 million accidents occur in the workplace each year.

“However, these estimates do not properly reflect the magnitude of the problem, or the real impact of occupational accidents and diseases on workers, families, the communities and economies,” Mr Usamate said.

“Inspectors such as yourselves, need good training because they have to deal with a wide range of disciplines from risk engineering, occupational hygiene, hazardous chemicals, risk management etc,” he told the participants present.

Mr Usamate said such trainings would help Fiji identify, assess, reduce and eliminate occupational hazards.

Dr Tom Gassert, who has spent most of his time in Asia and the Pacific teaching and speaking on OHS-related issues, said they wanted to involve many sectors as possible to work together, to identify and address problems.

“This is the first training of its kind in the Pacific, but in the past we’ve had representatives from the Pacific attend workshops outside of the region,” Mr Gassert said.

“And I think Fiji can play a lead role on OHS in the Pacific.”

Former president of the International Commission on Occupational Health, Dr Jorma Rantanen, urged the participants to exchange ideas and learn more from this workshop.

Feedback: ivamere.nataro@fijisun.com.fj