Abstract:
This study aimed at assessing the contribution of occupational health and safety policy
to the welfare of public service workers in Tanzania: The Case of Sengerema District,
the study was conducted in Sengerema district in Mwanza Region where by Sengerema
district council and TANESCO branch were studies.
The study employed a sample of 133 respondents where by various data collection
strategies were used. These included questionnaires, interviews, observation and
documentary review. Respondents were public service employees and their employers,
Trade Union Representatives, Officers from Commission for Mediation and Arbitration,
Officers from OSHA Lake zone, labour officers and heads of TANESCO Sengerema
Branch and Sengerema District council. Qualitative and quantitative methods (numerical
and description) were used in analyzing data. Table and figure were used in presenting
the data.
The study revealed that the public service is more confronted by occupational diseases
than occupational accidents. It was noted that the invisible nature of occupational health
has made workers in the service unconscious and silent. This in turn has resulted into
minimal compliance of occupational health and safety policy in the public service
particularly Sengerema district council, few resources allocation for its implementation
and enforcement, lack of monitoring and control from the responsible entities and
provision of measly money given as compensations to accident victims. Again practice
in the study area shows that lack of safety culture has put employers at safe side since
workers neither do point directly that they are affected by occupational diseases, nor do
they demand OHS. Economic factor was found to be the major factor for employer‟s
negligence of Occupational health and safety. Poor or ineffective occupational health
and safety programs in the public service resulted from the government‟s realization of
the costs of OHS services to the state. It is recommended that payment of occupational
health and safety compensations be assigned to the National health insurance Fund
which has resources from statutory contributions done by both employers and
employees. The researcher sees an option taken by employers of neglecting OHS as
desperate and that it cannot bring development.
