Following the launch of the Banana Occupational Health and Safety Initiative’s (BOHESI) Manual on Health and Safety for the Banana Industry in Ecuador, which took place in Machala, Ecuador, on 21 May 2018, training sessions are being delivered to public and private sector representatives. BOHESI is a pilot project implemented in Ecuador and Cameroon which aims to contribute to a socially and environmentally sustainable banana production and trade by improving the standard of living for male and female workers and their surrounding communities through improved workplace health conditions.

To date, training sessions have taken place in the provinces of El Oro, Guayas and Los Rios in Ecuador. 140 representatives from the public sector, including extension workers and inspectors from the Ministries of Agriculture and Labour, have been trained in El Guabo. It is expected that approximately 190 inspectors from the Ministry of Labour will also receive training. Furthermore, nearly 350 private sector occupational health and safety (OHS) representatives have been trained in the areas of Milagro and Payos (Guayas), and Quevedo and San Juan (Los Rios). Training sessions are expected to continue through to the end of June 2018. Part of the BOHESI strategy further outlines trainings to be delivered to trade union representatives, although this is still in the planning phase. In addition, the Ministry of Labour is currently working on an e-learning platform based on the contents of the Manual. The platform will be available for use by inspectors, trainers, extensionists and workers, with the aim to cover the whole Ecuadorian banana workers collective.  

In Cameroon, the manual will soon be made available for download on the WBF website, in English and French. The 'training of the trainers' sessions were expected to take place in Septmber 2018, for company and trade union representatives at Plantations Haut Penja (a subsidiary of Compagnie Fruitiere) and the Cameroon Development Company. Training sessions for the third Cameroonian banana-producing company, BoH, were soon to be confirmed. However, due to the current political situation in western Cameroon, the training sessions will be postponed until conflicts have been resolved.

For more information on Working Group 03 and its activities, click here.

For further questions or inquiries, contact Victor Prada at [email protected].