In this regard, seminars, walks and rallies were conducted in different districts of the Punjab to raise awareness among public about importance of health & safety at work. The purpose of marking this day is to promote and create safe and healthy culture to reduce the number of work related deaths and injuries.
While addressing a seminar in Lahore, the Director General Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Dr Rizwan Naseer said that Rescue 1122 is already working on different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including good health & wellbeing, clean water & sanitation, sustainable cities & communities, climate action and life on land.
Sharing the emergency data, he said that 12-percent injuries are due to fall from height at workplaces. Rescue 1122 has rescued 4.7 million emergency victims since its inception, while responding to 1,531,281 road traffic crashes, 1,980,505 medical emergencies, 92,019 fire emergencies & saved losses worth over Rs 200 million, 153,132 crime incidents, 6,747 building collapses and 8,339 drowning emergencies.
He said that the increasing number of emergencies can be prevented through effective planning and community involvement particularly emergencies at workplace can be reduced through co-ordinated efforts amongst industrial units and concerned organizations.
Dr Rizwan Naseer advised the rescuers to take stringent steps to ensure their personal safety like wearing of safety helmets, gloves, masks, safety shoes and fire turnout gears during rescue operations as safety is every one's responsibility. He said that personal protection equipment not only provides protection but also enhances the working capacity of rescuers.
He further said that Rescue 1122 believes in saving lives & promoting safety by providing emergency care and through co-ordination with organizations working on similar objectives. He expressed his commitment to work for development of safer communities through active community participation.
It may be noted that the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development adopted on September 25, 2015 encompasses a global plan of action with specific targets to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. With its adoption, the capacity to collect and utilise reliable OSH data has also become indispensable for countries to fulfil their commitment to implement and report on some of the agenda's 17 sustainable development goals and their targets. Sustainable Development Goal 8, in particular, provides for the promotion of "inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all" and its Target 8.8 focuses on the "protection of labour rights and promotion of safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment."