Occupational health and safety (OSH) aims to promote and maintain worker well-being in all occupations by preventing health issues caused by working conditions, protecting workers from workplace risks, and ensuring a healthy work environment. In Nepal, OSH is still a relatively new concept, with few industries maintaining occupational standards. Common occupational hazards in Nepal include unsafe working conditions, lack of training and supervision, outdated equipment, and violation of safety rules. While OSH principles call for prevention, protection, information sharing, and health promotion, barriers to sound OSH in Nepal include lack of awareness, poor consultation, and no safety culture among both workers and management. OSH is applied to improve worker rights, establish safety policies, provide compensation,

1. Concept of occupational health
and safety in Nepal
PREPARED BY: Presented with: Sagun PAudel
Samjhana Gurung(B)
LA GRANDEE International college,
simalchour pokhara
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2. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
The joint international labor organization committee
on Occupational health, 1950 defined occupational
health as:
“The highest degree of physical, mental and social
well-being of workers in all occupations.”
It represents a dynamic equilibrium between the
worker and his occupational environment.
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5. INTRODUCTION OF OSH
• OSH is the science of anticipation, recognition,
evaluation and control of hazards arising in or from the
workplace which could impair the health and well-being
of workers, also impacts the surrounding communities
and the environment.
• Though the International Labor Organization (ILO) has
maintained and developed a system of international
labor standards since 1919 which aimed at promoting
opportunities for decent and productive work, in
conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity.
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6. CONT…
• It is relatively new and very few industries maintain
occupational standards.
• OSH is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with the
safety, health and welfare of the people at their
workplace.
• Although various institutions and individuals have
defined occupational safety and health differently but
all of them agreed on the same meaning is that
protecting and promoting the health and well-being of
the workers as well as protecting the general
environment through preventive actions in the
workplace (Pun, 2011)
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7. Occupational health and safety is a discipline with a
broad scope involving many specialized fields. In its
broadest sense, it should aim at:
• PROMOTION and MAINTENANCE of the well being of
workers in all occupations
• PREVENTION of departures from health caused by
working conditions
• PROTECTION from risks resulting from factors
adverse to their health
• PLACING and MAINTENANCE of the worker in an
environment adapted to their physiological and
psychological condition
International Labour Organization: 1950 7

8. • The concept of occupational safety and health is still
new in Nepal.
• It has not been a hot agenda in industrial field where
only about 7 percent of the labour force are involved
(CBS, 2009) where this provision is insignificant in
other sectors other than industry
• The high illiteracy among the workers, lack of
awareness, poor performance or inattention of the
concerned government authorities in
implementation of OSH related policies and activities
have shadowed these issues.
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9. • According to Nepal labor force survey, 2008, the total
number of currently employed persons increased
from 9463 thousand in 1998/99 to 11779 thousand
in 2008.
• Moreover based on the classification of industry,
73.9 percent of people are working in the agricultural
sector and 26.1 percent in non-agriculture.
• It is estimated that each year approximately 20000
workers meet accidents at workplace which lead to
about 200 lives lost in Nepal.
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10. Table I. Trends of industrial injuries
Joshi SK et al./ International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 1
(2011) 19 –26 10

11. Table: 2 Currently Employed Population aged 15
years and More by Industry
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13. The major causes of occupational hazards found in
different work sectors were:
1. Unsafe working conditions
2. Lack of supervision and training
3. Use of old machinery and equipment
4. Lack of sufficient maintenance
5. Bad house-keeping practices
6. Violation of safety rules
7. Overcrowded production units with very congested
space
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14. Some work activities were noted to have high risks;
1. Working with machine and equipment
2. Use of electricity
3. Building and Construction works
4. Use of chemicals in industries , various services and
agriculture
5. Dusty worksites
6. Congested and dark work places.
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15. Barriers for sound OSH condition in Nepal :
1. Lack of knowledge and awareness among workers.
2. Lack of awareness and commitment in employers and
management.
3. Fear of change and cost increase(management)
4. Poor consultation system
5. Majority of untrained people both in management and
labour
6. No safety-friendly work culture (both workers and
management)
7. Lack of research and data- base on occupational diseases
and health hazards.
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16. KEY PRINCIPLES OF OHS:
1. All workers have protection rights.
2. OHS policies must be established.
3. There is need for consultation with the social
partners ( that is ,employers and workers ) and
other stakeholders
4. Prevention and protection must be the aim of OHS
programmes and policies
5. Information is vital for the development and
implementation of effective programmes and
policies.
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17. 6. Health promotion is the central element of occupational
health practices.
7. Occupational health services covering all workers should be
established.
8. Compensation, rehabilitation and curative services must be
made available to workers who suffers occupational
injuries , accidents and work related diseases.
9 .Education and training are vital components of safe ,
healthy working environments.
10. Workers ,employers and competent authorities have
certain responsibilities, duties and obligations
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18. Application of OHS
• Works plays a central role in people’s lives. Since
most workers spend at least eight hours a day in the
work place, whether it is on plantation , in an office,
factory etc . So that work environments should be
safe and healthy.
• Everyday workers all over the world are faced with a
multitude of health hazards , such as
:dusts, gases, noise, vibration, extreme temperatures
etc.
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19. Applied in:
• To improve the fundamental rights of workers.
• For the establishment of the OHS polices.
• To get compensation,rehabilation and curative
services.
• In training of the workers , safety education, risk
reduction and preventive measures of different
diseases.
• To inform the authorities to enforce the laws and
regulations regarding occupational setting.
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20. Also it’s application on:
• Occupational medicine
• Occupational hygiene
• Public health
• Safety engineering
• Health physics
• Ergonomics
• Toxicology
• Epidemiology
• Environmental health
• Public policy
• Industrial sociology
• Medical sociology
• Social law
• Labour law and occupational health psycology
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21. REFERENCES
• Ali, B. O. (2001). Fundamental Principles of Occupational Health and Safety.
Genava: ILO.
• Carter, W. S. (2010). Introducing occupational health in an emerging economy: A
Nepal experience. Retrieved from: annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/
• CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) (1999). Nepal labour force survey 1998/99.
Kathmandu: CBS.
• CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) (2003). Population monograph of Nepal I.
Kathmandu: CBS.
• CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) (2008). Census of manufacturing establishments
2006/2007. Kathmandu: CBS.
• CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) (2009). Nepal labour force survey 2008.
Kathmandu: CBS.
• CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) (2010). Survey of small manufacturing
establishments (2008-2009). Kathmandu: CBS.

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