The country will have an occupational health and safety laboratory in the next 10 years. The facility with specialised features will be built as part of the National Occupational Health and Safety strategic plan to assess hazard exposure in workplaces. Many industrial workers in Bhutan suffer from occupational diseases, with studies revealing that many of them have hearing loss and respiratory illnesses.
The Department of Labour will be establishing the occupational health and safety laboratory. The lab will have specialised features to test air quality, monitor and analyse noise, heat, and vibration, and assess chemical.
According to the department, the absence of a safety laboratory hinders timely assessment of hazard exposure.
A study conducted by the labour department in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology found that almost 28 per cent of industrial workers in the country suffer from occupational noise-induced hearing loss.
According to the Department of Labour, although around 85 per cent of workers are aware of the importance of using hearing protective devices, only 1.4 per cent use them regularly.
Similarly, another study found that around 25 per cent of industrial workers suffer from respiratory diseases.
A senior labour officer said that despite many awareness efforts, workers still fail to consistently use personal protective equipment. He said that wearing PPE is important to prevent workplace injuries and occupational diseases.
Occupational disease is any illness or health condition caused by or made worse by exposure to hazards in the workplace. It is caused due to prolonged exposure to hazardous substances such as chemicals, gas, dust, radiation and noises at the workplace.
Phuntsho Dendup, Sr. Labour Officer of Department of Labour said “There is no safety leadership commitment. When employers and managers do not use PPE themselves, workers do not comply with it. The lack of enforcement by the safety officers in the companies, they issue the PPEs, but they do not ensure whether workers use them consistently or not.”
The senior labour officer also said that it is important for workers to undergo health check-ups regularly.
He added that routine health screenings are crucial, as prolonged exposure to occupational hazards can lead to serious health issues over time, and early detection is essential to mitigate long-term health impacts.
However, a lack of health professionals hinders routine screenings.
“They face a lot of challenges. The main reason is the lack of enough health professionals. The employers cannot take 200 to 300 workers directly to the hospital for screening, as it will disturb other public service delivery. We have discussed with the Ministry of Health on how we can facilitate and work together. Therefore, probably in the coming years we will have concrete decisions and way forward to tackle this issue.”
The Department of Labour pointed out poor use of protective equipment, irregular health check-ups, and a lack of a safety laboratory as gaps in workplace safety.
Sangay Chozom
Edited by Phub Gyem
