What Protects Lives from Workplace Accidents？

これは、9月18日から10月7日までJICA東京で労働安全衛生を学んだ課題別研修コースの研修員が実習で作成したものです。本研修は、日本の労働安全衛生を守る　中央労働災害防止協会がプログラムを組んでくださっていますが、本実習の講師を務めたのは、ホチキスなどの文房具やステッカー印刷機のメーカー　マックス株式会社の坂東さんです。
坂東さんは、ステッカーが安全表示に使われることに着目し、中央労働災害防止協会の研修に参加したことで、初めて、表示づくりに何が大切かに気づき、さっそく自社の生産工場に取り入れたといいます。
その大切なものとは・・・「チームワーク」。
どんなに立派な安全表示も、それだけでは労働災害のリスクを下げることはできません。何がリスクなのかを働く人々みんなが参加して考え、リスクを下げるために何ができるか、どういう表示が必要かを話し合って作り上げたときに初めて「伝わる表示」ができるのです。

研修コースには、カンボジア、カザフスタン、ブータン、モーリシャス各国からの研修員が参加していますが、まず、自分たちが毎日講義を受けているJICA東京の「労働安全リスク」を考えました。階段は多くの人が行き交うけれど、左右どちらを通るかのルールが示されておらず、すれ違う時に戸惑うこともある現状を発見、「何を伝えることが必要か」や「どういう表示なら伝わるか」を考えてステッカーを作りました。
研修は無事終了し、研修員は自国の職場に戻りましたが、彼らの作った安全表示は今日もJICA東京で学ぶ研修員やスタッフの安全を守ってくれています。人が働く場所の安全を守るのは、そこで働く人々みんなのチームワークに他ならないことを学んだ経験は、各自の職場でこれから存分に活かされてれていくに違いありません。
今日も一日「ご安全に！」

報告者：JICA東京センター 人間開発計画調整課　古賀聡子

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Have you noticed the new safety signs on the staircases of JICA Tokyo Main Building and on the emergency stairs from the 4th floor to the 3rd floor?　“Keep Left" sticker just in front of the staircase, "UP" and "DOWN" stickers in places visible to people going up and down. The outside-opening door to the fire escape has a sticker that reads "WACH OUT! OPEN SLOWLY".

This was prepared by participants of the KCCP “Occupational Safety and Health” course who studied at JICA Tokyo from September 18 to October 7, 2023.
This course was organized by the Japan Industrial Safety & Health Association (JISHA), which protects occupational safety and health in Japan. However, the instructor for this practical training was Mr. Bando of MAX Co. Ltd, a manufacturer of stationery such as staplers and sticker printing machines. Mr. Bando first became aware of the importance of labeling, what makes labeling do work, after participating in a training course offered by JISHA, and he immediately incorporated it into his company's production plant.
The most important thing for saving workers' life was “teambuilding”.
No matter how good the safety labeling is, it alone cannot reduce the risk of workplace accidents. It is only when all workers participate in thinking about what the risks are and discuss what can be done to reduce the risks, and what kind of labeling is necessary, that a "label that conveys the message" can be created.

The participants for this KCCP course are from Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, and Mauritius. First, they considered "occupational safety risks" in JICA Tokyo, where they receive daily lectures. They discovered that many people pass each other on the stairs, but there are no rules on which side to go, which sometimes confuses people when they pass each other. They made stickers after thinking about what they needed to convey and what kind of signs would convey the message.

After the course was successfully completed, the participants returned to their home country, their own workplaces. But the safety signs they created continue to protect the safety of KCCP participants and JICA staff working at JICA Tokyo today. The experience of learning that; it is only the “teamwork” of all the people working there that keeps people’s safe at their places, will surely be greatly nurtured in their own workplaces.
Have a safe day!

(Satoko KOGA, Human Development and Operational Coordination Division, JICA Tokyo)