FG Commences Review Of Factories Act 2004

AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Federal Government has commenced the process of reviewing the obsolete subsidiary regulations of the Factories Act, 2004, to bring them up to date with international best practices and demands.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Yerima Peter Tarfa, said those regulations needed to be reviewed, as they had been in existence since the inception of Factories Inspectorate Division (FID) in 1958 and had lost their relevance and become obsolete “due to the rapid and consistent changes in the world of work today.”

Tarfa, who spoke as he flagged off a four-day retreat on the “Review of Obsolete Occupational Safety and Health Regulations”, organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, noted that the basic provisions of the Factories Act, 2004 (as reviewed over the years) had  remained the same through the years while “work machines, materials, tools, processes, procedures, methods and standards have been evolving significantly with advances in science and technology.”

Represented by  Director, Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Ministry, Lauretta Adogu  Tarfa said the review became necessary on account of “the emergent challenges in workplaces and the need to strengthen the Factories Act through its subsidiary legislations and as required by the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 187 on the Promotional Framework for the Occupational Safety and Health Convention 2006, which was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).”

He disclosed that the process of reviewing all obsolete subsidiary legislations under the Factories Act would start with the Factories (Notification of Dangerous Occurrences) Regulations, 1958, and Factories (Registration,  etc, Fees) Amendment Regulation, 2007.

The Permanent remarked that the review would lead to achieving a safe and healthy working environment, in line with the ILO agenda for decent work.

Tarfa also pointed out that the review would give to enhanced data collection and improved revenue generation, as well as reduced illnesses, diseases, injuries and deaths amongst workers in the country, which would ultimately give lead to increased productivity and national economic growth.

The Permanent Secretary added that the implementation of the reviewed regulations would impact positively on the national workforce, workplaces and economy.

He noted that Section 49 of the Factories Act empowers the Minister for Labour and Employment “to issue regulations for securing the safety, health, welfare and protection of workers” in the nation’s workplaces, and by that empowerment, “the provisions of the Act are continually brought in line with the dynamics of the current rapidly changing world of work.”

He urged the participants to carry out their assignment with professionalism, dedication, and patriotism, as the input of the retreat  would add value to “the performance of National Occupational Safety and Health Management System in Nigeria.”

Tarfa remarked that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment,  had developed a Country Profile on Occupational Safety and Health, and also recently reviewed the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health, which is the framework for all Occupational Safety and Health related legislations in the country.

In welcoming the participants, Director, Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Ministry, Lauretta Adogu (Mrs), disclosed that the essence of the retreat was to review the Occupational Safety and Health regulations and come up with a draft document for subsequent validation.

Represented by Dr Ummu Abubakar, Adogu stated that Occupational Safety and Health is concerned with “the protection and promotion of the health and safety of workers, as well as the improvement of working conditions and the environment.”