Hospitality sector grapples with rising injury rates
The annual figure suggests progress toward tamer inflation has essentially stalled, at a time when the labour market and demand show scant signs of distress.
ZIMBABWE’s hospitality industry is facing a safety crisis, with a staggering lost time injury frequency rate exceeding acceptable standards for three consecutive years covering 2017 to 2019, according to latest statistics.The revelations were made during a recent National Employment Council for the Catering Industry in Zimbabwe’s multi-launch of the Sectoral Occupational Safety and Health Policy, Electronic Levy System and Online Magazine.Registrar of Labour in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Shebba Gweshe said occupational safety and health is a critical component of decent work.“The catering and hotel industry falls under the food, drink, and tobacco consumption industrial sector and its lost time injury frequency rate being above one for the years 2017 to 2019 is cause for concern as this suggests high incidences of disabling occupational injuries.“In 2017 the lost time injury frequency rate was 4,3, in 2018 it rose to 6,1 and in 2019 it went down to 2,4,” she said. This is well above the acceptable standard of less than or equal to one.“…hence occupational injury rates in the catering and hotel sector mean that the standards of occupational safety and health have to rise to prevent the occurrence of disabling occupational injuries,” Shebba added.The country’s catering and hotel industry is a crucial sector contributing significantly to gross domestic product and employment. The industry encompasses hotels, restaurants, bars, catering services, and other hospitality-related businesses.Addressing the challenges and leveraging opportunities will be crucial to unlocking its full potential. The conference business is proving to be a major boon for the hospitality sector in Zimbabwe, driving significant revenue growth and prompting companies to invest in facility upgrades.