FG Approves Occupational Safety Policy

The Federal Government during its Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a new national policy on occupational safety and health, tagged: National Policy on Occupational Safety 2020.

It said the new policy will ensure that all workers are safe at their workplaces across the country, adding that it derives from provisions of the Nigerian constitution and the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) convention.

Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige said on Wednesday: “The Federal Executive Council today approved a new policy on occupational safety and health-2020. This policy is designed to make for the safety and health of workers at workplaces.

“It derives from the main ground norm, the law of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which in Section 17 (3c) prescribes that the Nigerian State shall make laws and bye-laws for the preservation of the health and well-being of workers in the workplaces; men and women at work.

“It also derives from the ILO Convention 155, which Nigeria has also domesticated. Again, that talks about making the work place conducive and ensuring the health and well-being of workers.”

The minister added that the last time the policy was reviewed was 14 years ago but the new one has a review period of three years.

“The last policy we have was approved in 2006 which makes it exactly 14 years since that was approved by the Federal Executive Council and that is the policy we have been working on. But u know that 14 years is a long span in the life of any law so in the course of operation, certain issues have been thrown up, the world has gone digital, workplace mechanism and hazards have been changing and it was, therefore, necessary that we do a new policy.

“This policy we did now is what you call to repeal and replace and it takes care of all that is needed for now, for the health of Nigerian workers,” he said.

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The minister explained that the new policy gives specific roles to agencies of government.

“It gives specific roles to agencies, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA,) Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA,) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA,) Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Health.

“Everybody has his own role now because it’s a cross-cutting situation as most Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government are involved,” he said.

Ngige said the new policy has a review period of three years.