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Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri, has advocated the establishment of a national health and safety authority to take overall responsibility for the administration and enforcement of health and safety at work.

“Mr Speaker, having this establishment in place and ensuring its proper decentralisation has the potential of cutting down on the unpleasant situation of the sky-rocketing unemployment in Ghana and ensuring more efficiency and effectiveness in our health care delivery system as a country,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh said in a statement on the floor.
He added: “Also, it will consolidate our efforts at ensuring the maximum safety we desire in our country.”

Mr Annoh- Dompreh’s statement was hailed by the House against recent reported attacks on employees by some establishments as they go about their duties.

One of such is the report of a lady, Evelyn Boakye, in Mawarko restaurant in Accra, who was assaulted by Jihad Thaabn, her supervisor.

He was said to have angrily grabbed the neck of the victim and dipped her face into raw pepper, which he had poured onto a table, as he yelled abusive words on her despite pleas to let her go.

Mr Annoh- Dompreh, nicknamed “King of Statements” by the Parliamentary News OF West Africa earlier in the month, for incisive statements on issues of national interest said passionately said: “The total safety of our citizens matter, and I believe the time to act is now.

While acknowledging the role of the Ghana Standards Authority, Mr Annoh-Dompreh, also a Member of the Select Committee on the Environment, said the nation required the National Health and Safety body, as “distinguished from the Standards Authority and the mandate and responsibilities of which shall slightly differ from the Ghana Standards Authority.

The Ghana Standards Authority has the mandate of testing and ensuring supervision and strict oversight on safe delivery of end product goods in Ghana, the MP pointed out that “I sincerely think Ghana needs a body that will focus on the manufacturing and processing of the products before the end products are churned out.”

The primary responsibilities of the Ghana Health and Safety Authority, Mr Annoh-Dompreh proposed would be among others to inspect all places of manufacturing of products and monitoring of compliance with health and safety laws, including prosecutions; and to ensure and promote healthy, safe and other welfare conditions for employees in all occupations.

It would also protect people at a place of work against risk for health and safety arising out of activities of persons at work, and to protect persons at work against risks to safety and health arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work.

The MP cautioned that two bodies should not have conflicting roles.

He entreated his colleagues to “as soon as possible begin the crafting of the relevant enabling bill which would eventually be passed into law to establish the Commission for Health and Safety to provide for the safety, health and welfare of persons employed in the workplace “

In a contribution, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, MP for Wa West and former Minister for Health drew attention to a number of legislations on workplace safety that must be worked on

Ms Helen Adwoa Ntoso, MP for Krachi West, said the need for health and safety in the workplace has become more paramount in the wake of the oil and gas industry in Ghana.