WORK-related deaths and injuries are commonplace the world over, more so in places where there is a lack in government capacity to inspect workplaces and ensure they are taking care of their workers – or when the country has a large informal sector. Many African countries have both these traits; a huge informal sector and a government which is only starting to get to grips with occupational healthy and safety regulations.
In sub-Saharan Africa countries, slightly more than 54,000 fatal occupational accidents happen every year and approximately 42 million work-related accidents took place that cause at least three days absence from work. The fatality rate of the region is 21 per 100,000 workers and the accident rate per 100,000 workers is 16,000.
In this research presented by Science Direct, the five countries that had the highest fatal incidents between 2001 – 2002 were; Nigeria (9,631), Ethiopia (5,596), Republic of Congo (4,148), Egypt (3,884), Tanzania (3,435) and Kenya (3,238).
These figures give a glimpse into the hazards faced by workers, unfortunately a lack of government and union oversight means that there is insufficient reliable information on occupational accidents to draw solid conclusions – particularly due to lack of proper recording and notification systems – but there are publicised issues and incidents that, with a bit of research, unveil the dangers posed by certain professions.
Thus, ironically, you are less likely to die as a peacekeeper in the Central African Republic (CAR), than in what on the face of it look like routine jobs in some countries on the continent:
Farmers
According to South Africa’s farmers’ union, working on a South African farm is the country’s most dangerous occupation, with twice as many farm workers killed as police officers each year. And it’s not because of over-enthusiastic cows or dangerous machinery. Afriforum and the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU) state that the number of farm murders was reported to have risen to 67 in 2014 from 62 the previous year.
There were 277 farm attacks in 2014, which the organisation believes is the highest figure since 1990. The 132.2 murders on farms per 100,000 people is more than double the murder rate for policeman at 54.4 per 100,000 people, the unions added, and 32.2 per 100,000 for the country’s population as a whole.
Source: mgafrica.com
