By Dotun Ibitoye

The Federal government has established a national policy on occupational safety and health, and a system of inspections to enforce compliance with occupational safety and health legislation.

Minister of  Labour and Productivity, Alhaji Kabiru Taimimu Turaki disclosed this at the 2014 Annual Conference of the Society of Occupational and Environmental Health Physicians of Nigeria, SOEHPON, with the theme: “Occupational Health and the Informal Sector”, at the Best Western Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The policy will make provisions for securing the safety, health and welfare of persons at work and protect others against risks to safety or health in connection with the activities of persons at work.

The aim of the policy is to achieve widespread coverage of the labour inspection services nationwide, through extension of services to cover the largest possible number of working people in all economic sectors, particularly those engaged in the informal sector.

Turaki said the emphasis of government is on prevention, with a determined effort geared towards nipping in the bud or totally eliminating risks of work-related accidents and diseases, labour disputes, conflicts, unfair labour practices, etc, by way of ensuring compliance with existing legislation.

SOEHPON on its part affirmed that awareness about Nigerians on Occupational and Environmental Health Practice, the better for Occupational Health practice in Nigeria and health workers in the country.

“Each and every one of us has responsibility for stopping deaths, diseases, and injuries occurring on the job. As government, we are responsible for providing the infrastructure, i.e. laws, regulations, guidelines, policies and services, as well as the enabling environment necessary to guarantee that workers remain employable rather than being maimed, he said

“Enterprises continue to flourish instead of being pulled down by heavy burden of diseases, injuries or deaths of ‘employees. In this regard, a national policy on occupational safety and health, and a system of inspections to enforce compliance with occupational safety and health legislation have been put in place.