A Critical Analysis of Legal Protection of Occupational Safety and Health of Workers during COVID-19 Outbreak in Rwanda

Abstract

Despite the introduction of occupational safety and health of workers at the work place in Rwanda within the context of constitution, law establishing the general statute governing public servants, law regulating labour in Rwanda, Ministerial Order n°02 of 17/05/2012 determining conditions for occupational health and safety, among others, there exist some limitations in the protection of occupational safety and health of workers at workplace especially during pandemics like COVID-19 in Rwanda .With the use of doctrinal and critical analysis methods, the study revealed there is no substantive legislative framework which materialize fully the protection of workers’ safety and health within a pandemic like COVID-19 in Rwanda. The study suggests that, Rwanda has to embrace and adopt effectively the WHO guidelines and ILO standards on Occupational Safety and Health of workers as both guidelines can offer an advanced guidance in regard to protection of Occupational Safety and Health of workers, during the period of the pandemic and other likely pandemics. The Rwandan legislator therefore, has to revise the existing related legal framework to reinforce the protection of workers at work places during the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, occupational safety and health, occupational diseases, workers, employees