A Worker Is Not a Machine’: Labor Minister Pelpuo Demands Focus on Mental Health in Workplaces
A Worker Is Not a Machine’: Labor Minister Pelpuo Demands Focus on Mental Health in Workplaces
A Worker Is Not a Machine’: Labor Minister Pelpuo Demands Focus on Mental Health in Workplaces
Government will strengthen enforcement of occupational health and safety standards with equal attention to mental health, Minister of Labor, Jobs and Employment Dr. Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo said.
Speaking at the University of Ghana Business School to mark the 2026 World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Dr. Pelpuo described the event as “not merely a team for an academic event” but “a national imperative.”
“I bring you warm greetings from the Government of Ghana and from the Ministry of Labor, Jobs and Employment,” he said. “Let me begin by commending the Department of Organization and Human Resource Management for convening this important national conversation.”
Dr. Pelpuo reminded participants that occupational safety is a key function of his ministry. “We have set up a whole department, the Department of Factory Inspectors, to deal with occupational health and safety. And so I see this conference as very crucial,” he said.
He said the theme was timely and consequential because it speaks directly to “the dignity of work, the quality of leadership in our institutions, and the future of productivity and enterprise, Public Service and National Development.”
The minister stressed that workplace safety must go beyond hard hats and machinery. “For many years, when we spoke about occupational safety and health, we thought mainly about visible dangers — falling objects, faulty machines, exposure to chemicals, unsafe buildings, electrical hazards,” he said. “Those risks remain serious. They must never be neglected. Ghana cannot build a modern economy on unsafe workplaces.”
“We cannot permit any worker to leave home in the morning with the hope of earning an honest living only to return injured, disabled, traumatized or not return at all.”
Dr. Pelpuo said the 2026 theme pushes Ghana to look deeper. “Not every workplace hazard can be seen with the naked eye. Not every injury leaves a scar on the skin. Not every wound bleeds.”
“Some of the most damaging risks in the workplace are hidden in the way work is organized, supervised, rewarded and communicated and experienced. Psychological hazards are real hazards. They are not big concerns. They are not the soft edges of management. They are concrete, measurable and consequential, and they deserve to be named.”
He listed “fear, harassment, insecurity, intimidation and extensive pressure and poor management” as features that damage both workers and organizations.
A worker is not a machine. A worker is not merely a unit of production. A worker is a human being with a body, with a mind, with a family and a right to dignity,” Dr. Pelpuo said.
“When the mind of the worker is broken, the nation loses its strength. When the spirit of the worker is crushed, productivity suffers. A strong organization is not one that extracts the last ounce of energy from its people. A strong organization is one that enables its people to strive.”
The minister said the conference was essential to duty bearers in government and the private sector, noting that every workplace — from factory shifts and construction sites to classrooms, hospital wards, farms and market stalls — must protect the Ghanaian behind the job.
