Companies honoured for commitment to workplace safety standards

AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) on Monday said it has so far registered some 440,000 workplace accidents, which resulted in the death of around 2,400 workers and left some 3,800 others with over 30 per cent disabilities.

Thousands others have been left with disabilities below 30 per cent, according to SSC figures compiled since the corporation began recording work accidents.

In a ceremony to honour corporations committed to safety and professional health standards, SSC Director General Nadia Rawabdeh said workers are a main pillar of the production process and their physical and mental health must be protected.

"Workplace injuries and accidents negatively affect the national economy as they contribute to losing qualified and trained workers, in addition to the psychological impact of the injury on the worker and the entire community," she said. 

Rawabdeh added that the Social Security Law stipulates stiffer penalties for institutions that violate safety standards by increasing their share of workplace insurance from 2 to up to 4 per cent, in addition to the payment of healthcare expenses in case of injuries.

"The SSC board has decided this year to increase the insurance percentage from 2 to 3 per cent for six firms that violated safety standards," she said, encouraging further workplace safety measures to eliminate the "increasing" number of injuries.

Labour Minister Nidal Katamine, who also spoke at Monday's ceremony, said the SSC complements the mission of the ministry in encouraging safer and more secure workplaces, noting that winning corporations were able to "translate their concern over workers' safety".

The minister, who is also chairman of the SSC board of directors, called for upgrading laws governing workplace safety and enforcing them more firmly to decrease the number of deaths and injuries resulting from violating professional health and safety standards.

"We urge applicant firms that did not win to improve the safety of their workplace environment in order to compete in the coming years," he said.

Firas Shatnawi, director of the occupational safety department at the SSC, said commitment to workplace safety standards increases workers' trust in their companies, which in turn increases their productivity.

He noted that the SSC registers an injury every 33 minutes and a death every five working days, with most of the incidents taking place in firms with 50-500 employees, while internationally the highest injury rate is registered in small corporations.

This year's awards went to the company operating Al Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Korea Southern Power Co Limited Jordan, the Jordan University of Science and Technology, the Jordan Bromine Company Limited and Siniora Food Industries Co.

Incentive awards were presented to the Central Electricity Generating Company/Aqaba Thermal Power Station, the Teeba Investment for Developed Food Processing Company, the Jordanian British Construction & Chemicals Co. and the Arab Co for White Cement Industry.