Windhoek
An accident at New Era Investment construction site in Windhoek last week Thursday had Namibia Building Workers Union (NABWU) Secretary General Victor Hamunyela sounding the alarm over safety in the construction industry across the country.
Last week Thursday a New Era Investment worker Johannes Lazarus sustained head injuries after some metal objects being lifted up a building by a crane fell and struck him on the ground where he was standing. Lazarus is in hospital in a critical condition.
Speaking to New Era yesterday Hamunyela called for construction companies to improve safety at workplaces.
He said after visiting the company’s construction site on Friday the union has since instructed all New Era Investment workers across the country not to report to work until they are provided with protective clothes.
He added that union officials will be visiting all construction sites across the country to assess whether companies are complying with health and safety regulations at the workplace.
He says its members across the country are being placed at risk over what he says is an occupational health and safety issue.
Hamunyela says he hopes that the Thursday accident will serve as a “wake-up call” to all construction companies across the country to invest more in safety equipment.
“We want to see all construction workers across the country receiving protective clothing including shoes and hats,” he said.
In 2015, the Social Security Commission (SSC) paid out over N$28.7 million for workforce accident claims in the private sector. This is in comparison to the approximate N$1.3 million paid to the public sector over the same period.
For the private sector in 2013/14, the SSC paid N$8.8 million to 6 294 claimants for medical expenses, while N$11.1 million was paid to 5 795 claimants in 2014/15.
An amount of N$3.8 million was paid to 893 claimants in 2013/14 as compensation while N$4.8 million was paid as compensation to 1 045 claimants in 2014/15.
Whereas for the public sector during the 2013/14 financial year the SSC paid the sum of N$396 636 to 96 claimants for medical expenses and N$233 277 to 61 clai-mants in 2014/15, while for compensation it paid N$418 171 to 32 claimants in 2013/14 and N$243 216 to 24 claimants in 2014/15, amounting to approximately N$1.3 million paid out during that period.
Since its inception in 2001, the Chinese owned New Era Investment has constructed the head office of the Ministry of Land Reform in Windhoek, Hilton Hotel, Ongwediva University Phase Two and the SACU head office in Windhoek, among many other buildings.