The National Safety Council, Ghana has expressed its commitment to ensuring safety at workspaces especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety at workplaces has become a critical concern for industry players as it has become key points for transmission of the virus.

In light of this, the Council has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Metropolitan Research and Education Bureau (MREB) to provide Occupational Health and Safety Training in Ghana, for its members as well as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practitioners in the country.

Speaking to Citi Business News, Chairman of the National Safety Council, Nana Yaw Akwada indicated that the move will help improve occupational safety in organisations across the county.

“In the midst of a pandemic like we have now, one cannot underestimate the importance of the quality of persons that businesses engage as health and safety managers. You need to be sure of their professionalism as regards ethics and their skills to make the decisions that ensure business continuity, what efforts they bring to bear on workplace safety and health in order to avert potential business interruptions. This MoU will address these issues and many more. It will help businesses navigate the legal, economic and moral land mine of the realm of safety and health at the workplace.”

Under the MoU, the Metropolitan Research and Education Bureau (MREB), will accredit learning centres who will offer the training courses, certify trainers who will teach on the courses and administer the OHS testing examination to candidates.

Dr Stephen T. Odonkor signed for and on behalf of MREB while Nana Yaw Akwada singed on the behalf of the NSC-G.

The five courses to be offered include National Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, National Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety Leadership, National Certificate in Health & Safety for the Extractives Industry, National Certificate in Environmental Management and National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety.

The MoU enables Ghana to have its first-ever National Certifications Courses in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management.

It will also serve as a platform for practitioners and persons willing to start or pursue careers in the field of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management in Ghana.

This move is expected to provide OSH practitioners with a good appreciation of the regulatory environment, compliance to statutory requirements, and create a safer work environment across all industries while bringing practitioners up to speed with new global trends in the field of occupational safety and health.