The House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations issued a seven day ultimatum to 20 companies involved manufacturing, construction, tanks farms and logistical operations in the petroleum sector. It asked them to send relevant documents on health, safety and environmental policies.
The Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Hamza issued the ultimatum at the end of a four-day oversight tour and on-the-spot-assessment of some companies facilities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Some of the companies that were visited included Intels, Brawal shipping Nigeria Ltd., Notore Chemicals Industries Plc., Oando Plc. West African Container Terminal, Tonimas and M-I Nigeria Ltd., Julius Berger and Total Energies. Schlumberger Nigeria Ltd. and Aos Orwell Ltd., both at Onne.
The lawmakers condemned the number of fires at oil and natural gas facilities in Nigeria. They also stressed the need for employers to strictly follow the HSE regulations. This is in order to protect the lives of Nigerian expatriates and workers.
Hamza stated, “As you can see, we had an intensive advocacy tour around more than 20 companies in and around River State, including construction companies, manufacturing companies, and oil and gas companies. We saw a lot.
We are actually trying to do an analysis and assessment on the spot of what is happening in the industry with regards to safety and health issues. We saw a lot.
When we get to our destination, we will do a desktop review to see what we have already seen. Then we will analyze it to determine if we can make any changes to existing laws to ensure that safety and health are protected in our work environment.
The chairman also emphasized the importance of employers of labour implementing and enforcing policies against bullying at work and sexual harassment. The bullying policy includes all aspects of safety and health management systems. He stated that he is certain that all these issues will be addressed once the policies are improved.
Hamza instructed all companies to submit the necessary safety and health documentation in compliance with the 84 checklist. This was in order to further scrutinize the legislation.
