IEP holds seminar on safety measures at workplace

Islamabad : The Institution of Engineers, Pakistan (Rawalpindi-Islamabad Center) held here a seminar (continuing professional development- lecture) to create awareness about the occupational health and safety and to apprise the young engineers about their responsibilities to avoid environmental hazards.

Engineer Muhammad Shahid, Member of Pakistan Engineering Council was the resource person on the occasion who spoke in details about the various aspects of the safety practices at the workplace.

The lecture was part of the series of events, being arranged by the IEP-RIC on regular basis for professional development of the young engineers, enabling them to play their productive role in the country’s socio-economic development.

It was presided over by the IEP-RIC Chairman Engineer Hafiz M. Ehsan ul Haq Qazi. Those who participated in the talks included Engineer Gp Capt (r) Najamuddin, Convener IEP-RIC CPD Committee and members of the local council, IEP-RIC.

While giving an overview of the topic, Engineer Muhammad Shahid told the participants that 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational diseases each year. Two million people die every year from occupational accidents and occupational diseases. 4% of the world's gross domestic product is lost each year through the cost of injury, death, absence, etc.

There are around 355,000 on-the-job fatalities each year-half of these occur in agriculture and next to it is construction, transport and manufacturing industries.

Engineer Mohammad Shahid also spoke about the responsibility of the employer to provide safe place of work, safe plant and equipment, safe system of work and training and supervisors. He also highlighted the concept of Risk Assessment and Control measures, International Legal Framework (OSH) and the relevant legal standards.

He was of the view that good health and safety practice often relies on the perfect behaviour of individuals, and people sometimes do not behave in this ideal way. The solution to a health and safety problem usually requires a worker to carry out their job in a particular way.