ILO and IIRSM social dialogue on occupational health and safety calls for improved safety in the construction industry

Abuja (ILO News): As part of its commitment to promote decent work, prevent accidents and improve work conditions in the workplace, the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) organised a social dialogue forum on Staying Safe in the Construction Industry of Nigeria. The event, held on 12 October 2017, brought together key stakeholders in the public and private sectors to discuss and deliberate on the theme: Staying Safe in the Construction Industry of Nigeria. Some of the organizations that participated in the meeting were Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE), Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigeria Institute of Building (NIB), and Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI).

In his welcome address Mr Dennis Zulu, the ILO Country Director, highlighted the spate of fatalities in the construction sector “The construction industry is the hub of social and economic development in all countries of the world. However, when compared with other labour intensive industries, the construction industry has historically experienced a disproportionately high rate of disability injuries and fatalities for its size”, he said.

Quoting the ILO figures, he stated that while one in six fatal accidents at work occur on a construction site globally, no less than 60,000 fatal accidents occur on construction sites around the world annually. He said that construction workers were three times more likely to be killed and twice as likely to be injured as workers in other occupations. He regretted that the situation was worse in developing countries like Nigeria where there were no reliable sources of data for such accidents.

Highlighting the ILO’s financial and technical support to the effort of the Government to develop the National OSH Profile in 2016, he commended the Government for its commitment to Occupational Safety and Health in Nigeria and reiterated the ILO’s continuous support to safe work in Nigeria. He called on the Government to ratify C187 – the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 and C. 167 - Safety and Health in Construction with a view to strengthen the legal framework to enforce safety standards in Nigeria.

In his remarks, the Chairman of International Institute for Risk and Safety Management thanked the ILO for supporting the maiden edition of social dialogue forum on OSH in the construction industry. He regretted the incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria in recent times. According to him, ‘’a communiqué issued by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing at the 6th meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development indicated that 54 buildings collapsed across the country between 2012 and 2016. He stated that between January 2013 and September 2014, no fewer than 27 cases of building collapse were recorded in different parts of the country with about 173 innocent Nigerians confirmed dead and 427 others injured.

Furthermore, a report by Daily Trust revealed that at least 272 people were killed in 43 incidents of building collapse across the country in the last 17 months. The highest deaths were recorded in 2016 when 251 people were killed and 80 people injured in 20 incidents. In 2017, 23 cases of building collapse were recorded across the country, in which 21 people died and 67 others were injured. Most of the collapsed buildings were those under construction. He therefore called on stakeholders to engage in dialogue with a view to identifying concrete recommendations to address the safety situation in the construction sector including, physical hazards, poor construction, stress and exposure to harmful substances’’.

In his keynote address, the Honourable Minister of State Labour and Employment, Professor Stephen Ocheni affirmed that the Ministry is making every effort to mitigate accidents in the construction sector as it is currently drafting a regulation for the construction sector to guide easy compliance and high Occupational Safety and Health Standards in the sector. He affirmed that safety in the construction industry requires the support and commitment of all stakeholders. Speaking through Mr Babatunde Ogunmoko, Deputy Director Occupational Safety and Health Department, the Honourable Minister said ’’ the construction industry is acclaimed to be one of the most hazardous sectors of any economy with the numerous labour intensive activities carried out under highly varied environmental conditions. The risk is high and so is the fatality rate and it requires the commitment of all stakeholders’’

In their separate statements, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) represented by Comrade Maureen Onyia-Ekwuazi and Director General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) represented by Mrs Nike Ajala acknowledged that the construction industry is vital to national development hence efforts should be directed at preventing accidents in the sector.

To further shed light on the theme, a lead paper on Evaluating Health and Safety Performance of the Nigerian Construction Site was presented by Prof Danladi Matawal, Director General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI). The paper presented key challenges in the sector including gaps and recommendations specifically highlighting the need to strengthen risk assessments and safety audits in the workplace. The paper was further discussed by a group of panellist drawn from the Public and Private Sector.

At the end of the meeting a communique was issued and stakeholders agreed to: strengthen the OSH legal framework in Nigeria by advocating for the passage of the OSH bill into law; revision of the National OSH policy, strengthen safety audits in the workplace and promote a safety culture through training and awareness creation.

The meeting was chaired by ENGR. (MRS.) Joanna. O. MADUKA, MFR; President, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, who was represented by Engr Emeka Ezeh Former President,Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE).