BY VICTOR      AHIUMA-YOUNG
LAGOS — Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, yesterday, advised members to give priority to Occupational Safety and Health, OSH,  issues in their respective workplaces.

PENGASSAN in a statement to mark the 2011 World Day for Safety and Health at Work, said there was need to emphasise the value of occupational health and safety management system to  prevent occupational hazards.

The association aligned itself with the International Labour Organisation’s, ILO, theme for this year,  “Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS): A tool for continual improvement.”

PENGASSAN in the statement advised its members to strictly adhere to the four steps and principles outlined by the ILO to achieve continual improvement of safety and health in their workplaces.

It called on the Federal Government to strengthen the inspectorate division of the Federal Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity as a way to enhance OSH management system in the country.

OSHMS, the union, noted  was a preventive method to implement safety and health measures, while its members were urged to key into it.

The popularity of the OSH management system is a reflection of its usefulness for facilitating continual improvement of safety and health at work, adding that with the active participation of all workers and management, well functioning OSH management systems will find practical solutions for improving safety and health conditions on a continual basis.

We call on Federal Government to implement all laws and international conventions against casualisation and contract staffing as a another strategy to improve OSH management system in the country.

We call on the Federal Government, especially the Federal Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity to strengthen the Inspectorate Division of the ministry and the labour offices in all states to enable them perform optimally towards the improvement of occupational safety and health management system in all public and private establishments.

Since many organisations within the oil and gas industry emphasised safety as first priority is an indication that they recognised the importance of occupational safety and health management system. We advise our members  and workers as a whole to ensure proper monitoring of safety and health issues in their companies.

Each branch should form a committee to monitor the PDCA principle of the ILO to enhance OSH in their individual company.ures which consists of these four steps of PDCA and ensure that not only the branches,  but every member to incorporate the principle of continual improvement.

The popularity of the OSH management system is a reflection of its usefulness for facilitating continual improvement of safety and health at work, adding that with the active participation of all workers and management, well functioning OSH management systems will find practical solutions for improving safety and health conditions on a continual basis.

We call on Federal Government to implement all laws and international conventions against casualisation and contract staffing as a another strategy to improve OSH management system in the country.

We call on the Federal Government, especially the Federal Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity to strengthen the Inspectorate Division of the ministry and the labour offices in all states to enable them perform optimally towards the improvement of occupational safety and health management system in all public and private establishments.

Since many organisations within the oil and gas industry emphasised safety as first priority is an indication that they recognised the importance of occupational safety and health management system. We advise our members  and workers as a whole to ensure proper monitoring of safety and health issues in their companies. Each branch should form a committee to monitor the PDCA principle of the ILO to enhance OSH in their individual company.