Accidents falling in the workplace says minister

Thanks to the implementation of new policies and measures in the workplace, work-related accidents have decreased in recent years and are forecast to fall by 7 per cent in 2023, Labour Minister Kyriacos Koushos said on Tuesday.

The minister addressed the media after a press conference reviewing the ten-year long collaboration between the labour ministry and the European University in Cyprus’ research centre Cerides, which helped the ministry in laying out plans for healthier and safer work environments on the island.

“Our focus is to protect the workers’ lives, in particular by reducing the number of occupational accidents in the workplace,” Koushos said.

“The cooperation between the government and the research centre was crucial as it allowed us to formulate policies aimed at ensuring the workers’ health and wellbeing.”

According to Koushos, the research centre’s input greatly contributed to the education of the staff at the labour ministry, adding that, thanks to research models and projections, the number of work-related accidents will gradually decrease over the next years.

Cerides’ director George Bustras said the cooperation between the research centre and the government produced tangible results for Cyprus society as a whole.

“We are at the forefront of Europe when it comes to finding ways to improve people’s workplace,” he said.

“We hope that our cooperation and our efforts can serve as an example for other countries as well.”

Bustras then added that in 2020, a total of 104 labour ministry inspectors underwent 126 hours of training regarding occupational hazards and health risks on the workplace.

In addition to that, 160 public sector workers were also trained on new targeted policies against the spread of Covid-19, with ten of them being awarded scholarships for masters and doctorate degrees at the European University.