OSH Month: Building health awareness crucial for election officials

Jakarta (BITPROFIX) – The Health Ministry emphasized the importance of building occupational safety and health (OSH) awareness among election officials on Friday, coinciding with the observance of National OSH Month (January 12–February 12).

“We must uphold OSH practice, considering that we will be holding elections. It is important to pay attention to the well-being of our election officials,” said Nida Rahmawati, the ministry’s Director of Health for Productive and Elderly Age Groups, during an online discussion.

Increasing OSH awareness during every work activity is necessary for realizing an OSH culture and encouraging the active participation of all parties to improve the level of public health, she said.

“This morning, all community health centers in Indonesia simultaneously conducted exercises with election officials to maintain their health, considering they will be working hard during the election period,” Rahmawati informed.

She said that protecting workers’ health is the responsibility of all parties, including the government, society, business, and private sectors. The commemoration of the month is a momentum to cultivate OSH in the work culture to realize safe and decent work for the safety and health of workers.

She also emphasized the importance of protection for female workers.

“Workers, especially women, take part in this nation’s economy,” Rahmawati said, adding that women contribute 40 percent of the workforce.

In addition, female workers in the reproductive age group (between 15 and 49 years old) will give birth to the nation’s next generation. Therefore, their health will also determine the nation’s future, she noted.

When launching the National OSH Month in Gresik, East Java, on January 12, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah said that the government was continuing efforts to encourage the implementation of OSH at workplaces.