Labour Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said on Wednesday that workplace safety should be treated as an investment in human life rather than an added cost.
He was speaking at a seminar at the Department of Labour in Narahenpita, held to mark National Occupational Safety and Health Week. He said safety should go beyond meeting legal requirements and become part of workplace culture, and that employers and employees share responsibility for it.
The minister said some organisations weigh the cost of preventing accidents against the compensation payable after one. He called for common safety standards across organisations, so that employers who invest in worker protection are not put at a competitive disadvantage.
Deputy Labour Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe said several hazardous incidents, including fires, had been reported at workplaces recently, with lives lost.
For workers, the message is that accident prevention and compensation are likely to remain on the ministry’s agenda. The seminar opened the week’s programme at the Department of Labour.
