Flower farm poisoning: Punish the culprits
Last week, about 80 health workers at Royal Van Zenten flower farm in Wakiso District were exposed to suspected toxic chemicals at their work place. They had no protective gear. Many suffered skin and eye irritation, vomiting and sudden onset of diarrhoea.
According to the United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, the effect of routine human exposure to metam sodium is not fully known.
Science shows that the pesticide can induce “allergic dermatitis and... may exacerbate or induce respiratory allergy (asthma)”, according to information on the Library’s website.
The import is that some of the flower pickers could, beside the immediate demonstrable symptoms, likely suffer ailments in future --- long after they have left Royal Van Zenten’s employment or when least able to meet associated medical costs.
This is why we ask government, through police and Labour ministry, to take particular interest and investigate this matter to establish whether or not provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2006, were violated.
Section 13 of the Act imposes a responsibility on the employer to ensure employees’ safety at all times.
We for emphasis reproduce it verbatim: “It is the responsibility of the employer
a) to take, as far as is reasonably practicable, all measure for the protection of his or her workers and the general public from the dangerous aspects of the employer’s undertakings at his or her own cost;
b) to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the working environment is kept free from any hazard of pollution...”
Preliminary findings show there was non-compliance with this proviso. The employer after the fact of onsite incident worked out with a nearby health facility to treat affected workers, but denied them medical reports detailing the diagnosis!
We find it callous that the firm, which agrees it sprayed one of the greenhouses with the pesticide, finds it convenient instead to blame the flower pickers for entering the unsecured house unprotected.
Investigators must subject the company’s claim that the employees entered “by mistake” to the strictest proof.
Anything else would be a sordid cover-up. It’s common in our country, with high unemployment and without minimum wage, for employers to sack or mistreat workers who are mostly vulnerable and unable to fight for their rights.
Whereas we support investors, both foreign and local, we reject their political elevation to pious status and government’s unquestioning supplication to them. Investments and job offers must help ameliorate the welfare of citizens, not erode their integrity or licence employers to repress the feeble in our society.
The issue: Flower farm poisoning.
Our view: Investments and job offers must help ameliorate the welfare of citizens, not erode their integrity or licence employers to repress the feeble in our society .
