We need to modernise safety laws to protect workers, says Abbas

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Speaker of the House of Representatives has said there is need to retool occupational safety laws to protect workers, who are exposed to risks factories, construction sites, farms, hospitals and other workplaces.

Abbas spoke yesterday while declaring open a public hearing organised by House  Committees on Safety Standards and Regulation and Labour, Employment and Productivity.

Abbas, who was represented by Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Olumide Osoba, expressed concern that the Nigerian workers were still victims of avoidable injuries, illnesses and deaths in the workplace.

Consequently, he noted that the proposed legislation is imperative to close existing gaps in extant laws to enhance the safety of workers in the workplace.

“Across our industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, construction, oil and gas, healthcare, transport, mining, and the informal sector, workers face hazards that too often result in injury, illness, and even loss of life.

“Many of these tragedies are preventable. They persist due to outdated regulations, weak enforcement, inadequate institutional frameworks, and the absence of a unified national safety architecture. This Bill seeks to close those gaps.

“It establishes a modern, harmonised, and enforceable framework aligned with international best practices and the standards of the International Labour Organisation.

“The urgency of this Bill is evident when we consider the fact that these hazards are mostly prevalent in the sectors that drive our economy. In construction, unsafe scaffolding and collapsing structures have left families devastated.

  “This Bill also recognises the indispensable contributions, and exposure to dangers, of healthcare workers, transport operators, artisans, and those in the informal sector.

“These groups form the bedrock of our national workforce, yet they remain among the least protected and continue to suffer physical, biological and psychological traumas. By extending safety obligations, strengthening enforcement, and promoting awareness, the Bill ensures that no worker is left behind.”

Chairman,  House Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, David Idris Zacharias, said the proposed legislation would address long standing shortcomings in workplace safety.

“The Bill provides clearer duties for employers and employees, stronger enforcement powers for inspectors, mandatory reporting systems, improved penalties and nationwide safety information management,” Zacharias stated.