Nigeria, on Friday joined the rest of the world to mark the 2023 Word Day for Safety and Health at Work.
The day was set aside by the United Nations to bring to the fore the inherent dangers workers face at work and the need to ensure that safety measures are put in place to protect them.
Speaking at a symposium as part of activities to commemorate the event which held in Abuja Nigeria’s capital, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Kachollom Daju, stated that 340 million occupational accidents occur worldwide yearly.
Safe Work Environment
She said that it was the duty of governments to ensure that all citizens and workers have safe work environments through implementable safety policies.
She said that since 2004, Nigeria joined in the annual campaign which was intended to raise the focus of the populace on the magnitude of work related accidents, injuries, diseases and deaths as well as the contemporary regional approach through preventative safety culture at work.
Calling on organisations to re-direct attention on the issue of safety and health at the work place, the Permanent Secretary said 340 million occupational accidents occur every year globally and 160 million are work related injuries.
“The ILO estimates that some 2.3 million women and men around the world succumb to work related accidents or diseases every year.
“Studies have shown that young people between the ages of 18 and 40 in both the formal and informal sectors particularly in the construction, manufacturing and the agriculture sectors are more likely to be injured than older employees…”, she said.
Awareness
Speaking virtually, the Country Director of the International Labour Organisation ILO, Ms Vanessa Phala, said that over two million hazards are reported globally every year at the work place and so the need for the world body to raise awareness on the mitigating the trend.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment along with other stakeholders had organised a road walk and medical outreach to Gudu market, a building materials market in Abuja, to sensitize the traders on the importance of safety and health at work.
The visit to the market was also an opportunity for the Ministry to introduce the 2020 revised edition of the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health to the traders.
Speaking to the traders, the Director, Occupational Safety and Health, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Lauretta Adogu, said the ministry was not relenting in its efforts in ensuring that workers are safe while performing their duties.
“There are some hazards that are inherent in such places. Like here we learned that they use chemicals.
“We have chemical hazards and what are hazards? Hazards are conditions that can result in accidents and diseases. Accidents can cause injury and disability and cause a lot of problems for the family,” Mrs Adogu said.
She disclosed that there are laid down rules on the safety measures to be put in place in the work place as well as penalties for those who are found wanting of disobeying the law by factory inspectors sent out to inspect factories.
According to her, similar outreaches had been carried out by the Ministry in the past to markets and factories to ensure that safety rules are obeyed by business owners.
The theme for the 2023 World Day for Safety and Health at Work is: “A Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work.”
Confidence Okwuchi
