Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, Jone Usamate says Fiji’s statistics on workplace injuries concerns his Ministry with a total of 1,636 injury cases reported in 2017.
Usamate revealed this while delivering his ministerial statement on Occupational Safety and Health Vulnerabilities of Young Workers.
Usamate adds that over 32 percent of reported cases of occupational health and safety for the past six years, has been for the age group between 20-30 years.
This age group recorded the highest number of reported cases.
He says in 2017, the age group between 26-30 recorded 18 percent of all OHS cases which means that this age group is vulnerable to injuries and illnesses taking place at work.
Usamate then told parliamentarians that the good thing that is happening in Fiji today is that young workers are learning the basics of risk prevention at schools and universities.
He says if one looks at the curriculum at the Fiji National University, occupational health and safety has been incorporated in it.
Usamate says this gives a workplace a foundation to build upon and ensures that young people are more receptive to occupational health and safety issues.
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