Doctors, Occupational Health and Safety Experts, and Government Representatives Discuss Unified Risk Assessment Document
Doctors, occupational health and safety experts, labor inspection representatives, and various ministerial structures are meeting in Tunis to discuss the development of a unified scientific document for assessing occupational risks in economic enterprises. According to Samia Fehri, in charge of managing the Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (ISST), this document is expected to be finalized before the end of 2025.
On the sidelines of a two-day workshop organized by the Institute, titled "Occupational Risk Assessment: Towards Strengthening the Legislative Framework in Tunisia," Samia Fehri told the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) agency that this meeting aims to reflect on the formulation of new legislative and regulatory principles to consolidate Tunisia's legal framework for preventing occupational risks.
She indicated that this initiative seeks to develop a prevention program that takes into account the specificities of companies, workplaces, the nature of the sector, and the materials used. The document will primarily be a digital application to facilitate access for companies of all categories and will be available in Arabic and French. Fehri confirmed that it will be binding for employers.
She also noted that work accidents are mainly concentrated in the construction and public works sector, adding that about 93% of the economic fabric is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that lack skills in occupational health and safety. She specified that the percentage of companies with a professional safety officer only reaches 22%.
The development of this unified document is a crucial step towards improving occupational health and safety in Tunisia, particularly in high-risk sectors such as construction and public works. By providing a standardized framework for risk assessment, the document aims to reduce the number of work-related accidents and promote a safer working environment for all employees.
