By Angela Atabo
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has harmonised national guidelines to reduce accidents and improve workplace safety.
Its President, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, at a stakeholders’ engagement on the Draft Harmonised National Construction Safety Guidelines for the construction industry.
Abubakar described the proposed guideline as a critical step towards establishing a nationally accepted framework that would improve occupational health, safety standards and establish indigenous engineering standards in the country.
He explained that the comprehensive, harmonised and nationally accepted safety framework would clearly define responsibilities, standards, procedures, and enforcement mechanisms.
“This underscores the importance of the draft guideline before us today. It represents a collective effort to align existing safety provisions, international best practices, and national regulatory requirements into a unified document.
“This will serve as a practical guide for all participants in the construction value chain.
“It will also promote a proactive safety culture, enhance compliance, reduce workplace accidents, and improve the overall quality and integrity of construction,” he said.
Abubakar explained that the guideline is part of COREN’s broader effort to address the absence of domesticated engineering codes and standards tailored to Nigeria’s realities.
“We have identified a very deep gap in indigenous codes and standards across virtually every sector of our economy regulated by engineering. We do not work on assumptions; we work on established rules, standards, and ethics.
“This safety guideline marks the beginning of a new journey towards developing Nigerian standards that can be gazetted, enforced, and backed by law beginning with construction, then other sectors.,” he said.
The Chairman of COREN’s Codes and Standards Committee, Ms Margaret Oguntala, said that the construction industry played a critical role in national development, adding however, that the industry has continued to face significant safety challenges.
Oguntala argued that no matter how well-designed or executed a project is, it could not be considered successful if it records numerous fatalities and accidents.
“It is in response to this that the draft guidelines have been developed by the Codes and Standards Committee of COREN.
“The document is designed to provide a comprehensive, practical and nationally accepted framework for improving safety performance, strengthening regulatory compliance and promoting a proactive safety culture across construction sites in Nigeria,” she said.
The committee chairman explained that the draft guideline was developed through extensive collaboration, involving 11 sectors, including construction, oil and gas, aviation and other industries to address critical issues of safety.
She, however, said that adoption alone was not enough, stressing that effective implementation and enforcement would determine its success.
She stressed the need for the Federal Government and other stakeholders to support its full enforcement.
She said that stakeholders at the meeting were expected to review the draft document and provide final inputs before its adoption as a national construction safety standard.
This, according to her, will transform workplace safety practices across Nigeria’s construction sector.
Providing an overview of the document, COREN Registrar, Prof. Uche Okorie, said the guidelines would standardise safety practices across Nigeria’s construction industry and align local operations with international best practices.
Okorie disclosed that the document covered personal protective equipment, site safety management, electrical and fire safety, hazardous materials handling, emergency response procedures, waste management, and regulatory compliance.
According to him, the guideline was developed through consultations involving professional bodies, regulatory agencies, academia, ministries, and industry practitioners.
“Among its key provisions are mandatory use of safety helmets, protective eyewear, respirators, steel-toed boots, high-visibility vests, fall protection systems, electrical safety protocols, fire prevention measures, hazardous materials management, and emergency response plans,” he said.
Okorie disclosed that after incorporating stakeholders’ recommendations, the final document would be submitted to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for formal adoption before nationwide implementation, through awareness campaigns and training among others.
He identified the expected benefits of the guideline as reduced accidents and fatalities, improved productivity, enhanced workers’ welfare, greater regulatory clarity, and increased global competitiveness for Nigeria’s construction industry.
The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr Ali Rabiu, commended COREN for taking the initiative to develop the harmonised safety guideline.
Rabiu noted that many accidents recorded at construction sites over the years were preventable and expressed confidence that the document would significantly improve safety compliance among practitioners and developers.
“This is a very important initiative. The Nigerian Society of Engineers fully supports it and will work with other stakeholders to ensure its successful implementation,” Rabiu said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
ATAB/FDY
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Edited by Philip Yatai