Staff at Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) have undergone Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) training to tackle Uganda’s rising workplace safety concerns. The session aimed to improve safety awareness in academic and professional settings.
The School of Engineering organised the workshop as part of a wider effort by the OSHE Centers of Excellence, launched at Makerere, Kyambogo, and Busitema Universities on May 4, 2023.
The programme focuses on hazard prevention, proper use of protective gear, risk reduction, and embedding OSHE principles in engineering education and industry.
Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu, Head of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere, stressed the need for proactive safety planning. He said Uganda records over 25,000 work-related injuries yearly, with many deaths going unreported.
Dr. Matovu also raised concerns that 99% of engineering and science graduates start work without safety training. This has forced some industries to cancel internships, fearing liability if trainees get hurt or killed on the job.