Occupational Safety and Health

MANDATE OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Occupational Safety and Health Department has statutory responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the safety, health and wellbeing of workers in their various workplaces (Factories), through workplace Inspections, accident investigations, Safety and Health awareness campaigns, workplace Safety and Health audit, e.t.c, as well as developing policies, regulations, guidelines, codes of practice and other instruments, with a view to preventing the occurrence of work related accidents, injuries, diseases/ill health, and deaths and enhancing occupational safety and health performance levels for higher productivity among the workforce.

MISSION STATEMENT:

To provide leadership and co-ordination for the protection, promotion and maintenance of workers’ safety, health and welfare in the workplaces, with emphasis on entrenchment of a culture of prevention.

VISION STATEMENT:

To attain an effective system of safety and health at work whereby the safety, health and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered or abused.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT:

• To ensure reasonably favourable, safe and healthy work environment and conditions in workplaces in Nigeria.
• To advise government, employers and employees alike, on measures necessary for the control of various occupational hazards and diseases.
• To reduce to the barest minimum, the occurrence of occupational or work-related accidents, diseases or ill-health, injuries, disabilities and deaths.

FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT:

The role and functions of the Occupational Safety and Health Department are guided by the provisions of the Factories Act, CAP F1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health, and the relevant International Conventions, Recommendations and Protocols of the International Labour Organization (notably the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, No. 155, of 1981, and the Labour Inspections Convention, No. 81 of 1947). In pursuit of its mandate, the Department carries out the following primary functions:

1. Providing leadership and coordination of the National Occupational Safety and Health Management System in Nigeria, in line with the provisions of the International Labour Organization’s Conventions No. 155 and 187, as well as the National Policy on OSH, which has assigned the Department as the Statutory Authority.
2. Regulating Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practice in Nigeria through formulation, implementation and periodic review of relevant policies, guidelines, codes of practice, and standards, viz. National Policy on OSH, 2006, National Workplace Policy on HIV & AIDS, 2013, etc.
3. Enforcement of the Factories Act, 2004 and its Subsidiary Regulations through provision of OSH Inspections, workplace safety and health audits, Investigations of occupational accidents / diseases / dangerous occurrences, and application of sanctions to recalcitrant employers as and when necessary, through issuance of improvement notices, warning notices, cautionary letters, prohibition notices or prosecution in the law courts as last resort.
4. Registration of new factory premises, and renewal / amendment / revocation of Certificates of Factory Registration for existing registered factories.
5. Provision of occupational health, hygiene and laboratory services, through health screening, environmental monitoring, biological monitoring and laboratory analyses of samples.
6. Maintenance of a Reporting system for occupational accidents and diseases, and collection, collation, maintenance and dissemination of relevant OSH data.
7. Certification of Competent Persons for third-party inspections of Lifting Equipment and Boilers / Pressure Vessels, as provided for in the Factories Act.
8. Drafting and periodic review of OSH-related, Laws, Regulations, Codes of Practice, Technical Guidelines, and Standards for various operations and processes, usually carried out in consultation with the social partners (in the spirit of tripartism) and other relevant stakeholders (i.e. the tripartite-plus).
9. Conducting empirical surveys and assessment of various aspects of OSH especially the very hazardous workplaces.
10. Providing safety and health education and advisory services to workers, employers, and the general public through lectures, seminars, workshops, symposia, conferences, etc.
11. Promotional activities, awareness creation and advocacy for achieving safety and health at work through a culture of prevention.
12. Collaboration and cooperation with other government Ministries / Departments & Agencies, Professional bodies, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and International Organizations that have a stake in OSH in Nigeria.
13. Collaborating with the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme. The Director (OSH) currently sits on the Management Board of the NSITF.
14. Servicing and supervision of the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria (NISCN), a tripartite, not-for-profit body established by the Ministry, with responsibility for promoting safety and health at work for prevention of occupational accidents and diseases.
15. Coordination of the Factories Appeal Board, an appellate body for employers who may feel aggrieved by any of the enforcement decisions taken against them under the Factories Act.

RECENT ACTIVITIES

• Continuous Registration of Factories, Renewal, Amendment, and Revocation of Factory Registration certificate.
• Continuous Factory Inspections (Routine and Check Inspections), being carried out by Factory Inspectors in the State and Zonal Offices of the Ministry nationwide.
• Statutory Monitoring and Enforcement of the Factories Act conducted by Director (OSH) and Team- Lagos State
• Statutory Monitoring and Enforcement of the Factories Act conducted by Director (OSH) and Team- Rivers State
• Commemoration of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, 2019
• One-Day National Stakeholders’ Awareness and Sensitization Workshop on the Diving at Work Regulations, 2018
• Validation Workshop on the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health