By Watipa Nyalugwe

Lilongwe, 25 November. Mana: Ministry of Labour, with support from the European Union (EU), under the Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme, has launched a capacity building initiative to train occupational safety and health (OSH) inspectors on advanced occupational hygiene monitoring techniques.

The initiative marks a critical step towards realizing Vision Zero which is a global strategy to eliminate workplace accidents and injuries.

OSH expert, Johanes Mandowa, said in Lilongwe on Monday that the training program is meant to equip OSH inspectors with knowledge on how to conduct occupational hygiene monitoring in the work place environment.

He said workplace employees are exposed to physical hazards such as dust, noise exposer and poor lighting which are supposed to be identified in a scientific way.

“There is need for

us to equip OSH inspectors with knowledge about occupational hygiene monitoring so that when they go out they are able to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control these hazards which is based on scientific evidence,” he said.

Labour Commissioner, Hlale Kelvin Nyangulu, said there is a lot of theological knowledge amongst the inspectors where they know all the hazards that prevail in the work places but a gap exists in terms of measuring and quantifying the level of these hazards.

“The missing link is the practical aspect where they do actual measurements to determine hazards in the work places,” he said.

He, therefore, said the training will give inspectors a chance to be able to measure these hazards.

Facilitated by renowned occupational hygienist Peter Jacobs and organized by GOPA Worldwide Consultants, the workshop focuses on bridging gaps in knowledge and practice among Malawi’s OSH inspectors.

The training aligns with the International Labour Organization’s standards, reinforcing Malawi’s commitment to decent work and sustainable economic development.

Participants have been provided with operational manuals to ensure that knowledge gained is sustainable.

The initiative underscores collective efforts required to build a safer, more productive workforce as Malawi moves towards achieving Vision Zero and eliminating workplace injuries and fatalities.