Fourteen people died as a result of 731 accidents at work in all sectors of activity in 2023, the Minister of Labor and Social Security revealed on Thursday (25).

According to Margarida Talapa, in addition to the deaths, 83 resulted in total permanent disability; 73 in partial permanent disability; and 561 in temporary disability.

"We are fully aware that the information presented here is far from portraying the reality, as there are still many companies that do not report accidents, thus limiting the access of workers or their dependents to their rights," he said.

In fact, it called on companies to improve their mechanisms for reporting accidents at work.

"It is our expectation that business owners will continue to invest in means of protection, hygiene and safety at work, and that workers, in turn, will follow the hygiene and safety rules established in the company, which are mandatory, to the letter," he said.

He was speaking in Maputo during the opening of the VII Conference on Safety and Health at Work, under the theme "Impact of Climate Change on Safety and Health at Work".

The Minister said that the manifestation of climate change has created impacts at various levels, including on health and safety at work. By way of example, global warming, which is reflected in the variation and/or rise in average temperatures, imposes the need to adopt practices to protect workers' health and safety.

Among the problems that can be associated with exposure to extreme heat, Talapa highlighted thirst, irritability, skin rashes, heat exhaustion or heatstroke

"That's why we're calling on professionals working in the field of occupational health and safety to define mechanisms to increase awareness among employers of the need to create plans to protect workers from heat-related illnesses," he said.

Minister Talapa said that the government remains committed to creating conditions that safeguard the working environment, consolidating and continuously improving the quality of life in the workplace.

It should be noted that the VII Conference on Safety and Health at Work is made up of themes that aim to share information on the initiatives underway in the country to promote safety and health at work, but also understand the challenges that still lie ahead in the different areas and has just over 400 participants.

April 28th, universally recognized by the ILO as "World Day for Safety and Health at Work", marks the tireless struggle of workers everywhere to improve the safety of their workplaces.