The Federal Government has commenced standardisation of occupational safety and health in workplaces with the recent inauguration of the Competency Certificate Examination Boards for both the Lifting and Allied Work Equipment (Safety) Regulations, 2018, and the Boiler/Pressure Vessel Regulations, 2018.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, while inaugurating the boards in Abuja, said the move was for the effective implementation of both regulations, for the occupational safety and health of workers in workplaces with heavy and hazardous equipment.
Keyamo also stated that putting the boards in place was “a statutory condition precedent to the process of certification and implementation of the provisions of Regulation 35 of the Lifting and Allied Work Equipment (Safety) Regulations, 2018, and Regulation 21 of the Boiler/Pressure Vessel Regulations, 2018.”
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Yerima Peter Tarfa, Keyamo said the boards would provide guidance for the examination and registration of heavy and hazardous equipment, as well as for the examination and certification of operators and inspectors of those equipment in workplaces.
According to him, the boards would provide “specific, structured and detailed guidance for the examination and certification of operators and inspectors in the safe design, construction, manufacture, use, operation, installation, maintenance, repair, alteration, testing, inspection, thorough examination and registration of heavy and hazardous equipment within workplaces.”
The Minister remarked that the use of heavy and hazardous equipment such as lifting equipment and its accessories, boilers and pressure systems had become prevalent in workplaces, and had introduced new forms of hazards, which pose serious threat to the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in workplaces.
He noted that the effective implementation of the regulations would significantly reduce the risks associated with heavy and hazardous equipment.
Keyamo reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the highest standard of safety and health practices and procedures in workplaces nationwide, and urged the board members to work towards achieving that.
He charged the two boards to conduct the assessment, examination and certification of operators and inspectors, as well as their other responsibilities, in a credible and professional manner.
The Competency Certification Examination Board for Lifting Equipment and Accessories has as chairman, Director, Occupational Safety and Health Department, Lauretta Adogu and Henry George Umoh, as secretary, both from Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The other members of that board are representatives of Lifting Equipment Inspectors Association (LEIA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Institute of Non-Destructive Testing, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Department of Petroleum Resources.
The Competency Certification Examination Board for Boiler/Pressure Systems has as chairman, Director, Occupational Safety and Health Department, Lauretta Adogu, and Olaniyi Oderinde, as secretary, both from Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The rest of the membership of the Competency Certification Examination Board for Boiler/Pressure Systems are drawn from National Guild of Boiler Inspectors of Nigeria (NAGOBIN), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Institute of Non-Destructive Testing, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Department of Petroleum Resources.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Yerima Peter Tarfa, stated that the inauguration of the Competency Certification Examination Boards was expected to pave the way for a seamless implementation of the two regulations, which would provide “the needed occupational safety and health guidance to employers and workers in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.”
Represented by Director, Occupational Safety and Health Department, Lauretta Adogu, Tarfa stated the boards would also address the skill gap, and preference of foreign over national certificates.
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