As is public knowledge, considering the current difficult economic and geopolitical context, the economies of the world have been affected to a greater or lesser extent, which directly affects the business climate in the countries, under this context many governments have been applying harsh austerity measures, but like governments, companies are also affected and several adopt various defensive strategies to survive and stay in the market, one of them being cost reduction.
It is there where some discrepancies with certain legal frameworks of governments arise from the business sectors, as an example of this I am going to present a Peruvian case.
An issue that has been generating controversy in various business sectors and labor unions in Peru, is the one referred to the prevention measures that must be provided to workers by virtue of the Occupational Health and Safety Law.
In our country there are between 15,000 to 20,000 work incidents annually and the manufacturing and construction industries are the sectors that register the highest number of serious and even fatal work accidents each year.
Let us remember that workplace incidents are events that occur in the course of work or in connection with it, in which the affected person does not suffer bodily injury or only require first aid care.
On the other hand, workplace accidents are sudden events due to or on the occasion of work and that produce personal injuries, material damage, waste and / or impact on the environment.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion (MTPE), between January and June 2018 there have been 8,278 work accidents, 1,173 more than the same period in 2017.
In the case of fatal accidents, 67 losses have been reported, 13 less than the first half of the previous year.
The MTPE also points out that Metropolitan Lima is the region that registers the most work accidents, and the economic activities with the most notifications are in the manufacturing industry; followed by real estate, business and rental activities; construction, mining and commerce.
This trend towards an increase in occupational accidents is very worrying and must be reversed, I must emphasize that the human factor is the most important asset in any organization and that the occupational accident prevention measures of the current Health and Safety Law in the Although work may seem too demanding and be burdensome for private companies and public entities, especially small and medium-sized companies, it is necessary and must be fully complied with, and non-compliance is punishable.
It is essential to promote a preventive culture in companies and public entities. The preventive culture is the set of positive attitudes and beliefs, shared by all members of a company about health, risks, accidents, diseases and preventive measures, it involves educating to create awareness, adopt new behaviors and a responsible attitude, of respect for the protection of lives and the environment. It seeks to generate a commitment to safety, health promotion and total loss control. The culture of prevention is based on the commitment and participation of all the members of a work group.
In addition, with the second decade of the 21st century nearing the end, in today's highly competitive, changing and uncertain world in terms of its economic and geopolitical evolution in which we find ourselves, only organizations that efficiently manage, value and respect their human resources they can be competitive and stay in the market.
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Martin Taype Molina
Master in Business Administration - MBA
Specialization in Business Management
Graduated in Administrative Sciences from the University of Lima, in Peru, Master in Business Administration - MBA and Specialization in Business Management at the aforementioned university, among other studies in leading academic centers in Peru, he has extensive experience in publications on management issues in his country for more than twenty years, in Business Journals such as "Management" and "Synthesis", he is also a contributor to the Internal Magazine "Communicating ourselves" of the National Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT), and of the business websites www.gestiopolis.com, www.losrecursoshumanos.com., and www.revistabenchmark.com., among others.
