The forum was also to create and sustain a safety culture at the work place.

Speaking on the theme; "Creating and Sustaining a Preventive Safety and Health Culture", the coordinating committee secretary of the International Federation of Building and Woodworks, Ghana Affiliates (IFBWW) ,Pius Quainoo, said the theme intended to focus international and national attention on promotion and creation of a preventive safety and health culture at work to help reduce the number of work-related death each year.

He said it would also create awareness at the workplace on occupational health and safety issues to promote health and safety conditions to work toward the prevention of workplace accidents and occupational diseases.

He noted that Ghanaians are very keen at achieving economic and development goals than integrating occupational health and safety as a sustainable development approach.

"Our culture of building beautiful things is rated very high, but the same cannot be said of our culture of prevention," he added.

Mr. Quainoo lamented that 49 years after the country's independence, Ghanaians still do not have accurate information on the number of workers killed annually on the job. He added that employers are not sanctioned for willful non-compliance with health and safety standards.

This, he opined, leads to workplace injuries and deaths and that continue to confront the workforce across the country.

He advised Ghanaian workers to observe the National Day for the Dead and the Injured by pausing to remember all workers who were killed or injured on the job and to commit themselves to the safety of workplace.

He also urged the trade unions to take the leading roles to enable their government and employers to integrate sustainable development with occupational health and safety for workers for the promotion of all forms of decent work and welfare of workers.