Kumasi: The government has been urged to urgently pass the Occupational Safety and Health Bill and enforce all relevant environmental laws to ensure the safety of workers in Ghana. Professor Emmanuel Adinyira, a Professor of Construction Project Management at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), emphasized the necessity for enforcement agencies like the Department of Factories Inspectorate, the Labour Department, and the Environmental Protection Authority to be adequately resourced.
According to Ghana News Agency, Professor Adinyira stressed that having appropriate laws is insufficient if they are not enforced. Despite the existence of the Environmental Protection Act, the Water Resources Commission Act, the Hazardous Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency Act, there is still a lack of effective management in Ghana. He argued that passing the bill and enforcing the laws are essential steps, alongside adequately resourcing the relevant agencies, to improve Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) performance in the country.
Professor Adinyira made these recommendations during his Professorial Inaugural Lecture at KNUST, where he discussed ‘Beyond the Fence: Transferring Health Safety, and Environment (HSE) Knowledge from Construction Sites to Host Communities’. He highlighted that HSE challenges are significant obstacles to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ghana. The country has shown limited progress, with only 41.1 percent of SDG targets met, and a decline in performance across 26 percent of the targets.
He pointed out issues such as water and soil contamination from illegal mining, potential agricultural export bans due to heavy metal traces, and increased pressure on healthcare facilities. These issues indicate that HSE has a direct impact on the national economy and survival. In the construction sector, Prof Adinyira identified a knowledge gap between formal sector contractors and host communities regarding HSE practices. While contractors operate with technical expertise, surrounding communities often lack basic HSE awareness.
Prof Adinyira proposed that contractors should not only employ local workers but also use them to spread HSE knowledge within communities. Construction business owners should revise their HSE policies to consider the well-being of host communities. He urged academia, industry, and government to view construction as a platform for empowerment and development.