By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
INTERNATIONAL Labour Organisation, ILO, has called on Government across the globe including Nigeria, to make the safety and health of all workers a primary and direct objective of policies and strategies for an environmentally sustainable economy.

Director-General of ILO, Juan Somavia, in a message to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, believed that policy makers should focus on the approach that produces safe and healthy work in sustainable enterprises, poverty reduction and a growth path that yields more and better jobs.

According to him, “Protecting the right of all workers to a safe and healthy working environment respects human dignity and the dignity of work and is integral to a socially inclusive approach. This is why occupational safety and health is embedded in the goal of decent work and decent work for all is central to the social pillar of sustainable development.

ILO standards on occupational safety and health provide guidance to governments, employers and workers and their organizations, and all stakeholders on the prevention and management of occupational hazards and risks. They also give guidance on the control measures that prevent negative workplace impact on the environment.”

“Awareness raising and prevention underpin strategies to reduce the incidence of occupational injury, illness and fatalities. Social dialogue is a valuable and indispensable tool. All of these must feature prominently in the transition to a greener economy.

Experience has already shown that some substances while being more environmentally friendly could be more hazardous to workers’ health. Consequently, renewable energies, waste management and recycling, as well as the greening of traditional industries must be approached from the outset with an eye on the occupational safety and health challenges with the aim of eliminating old hazards and risks and preventing new ones from emerging.”

He added “Let us strive for a win-win situation for all – workers, families, communities, enterprises, economies, and the environment. Let us make the safety and health of all workers – in the formal and informal economy – a primary and direct objective of policies and strategies for an environmentally sustainable and socially
inclusive green economy.