Prof Stephen Ocheni, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment has said that 2.3 million deaths were recorded globally yearly from occupational accidents.
Ocheni said this at the commemoration of the 2018 World Day for safety and health at work on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, The International Labour Organisation (ILO), estimated that every day 6, 400 people die from occupational accidents or diseases and 860, 000 people are injured at work.
He said that the figure amounted to 2.3 million work related injuries and death each year, adding that young people were disproportionately represented in the figure.
He said that such related accidents leave in their trail, losses of huge dimension that adversely affected the nation’s economy due to loss of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“As young people in all sectors, particularly in construction, manufacturing and agriculture are more likely to be injured at work than older employees.
“Reasons adduced to this increased likelihood of workplace injury among the younger workers include the fact that they have less on the job experience couple with lack of appropriate supervision and training by employers,” he said.
He said that the young were the ones often assigned to more assiduous task than their older colleagues, adding that this increased the likelihood of harm.
The minister said the ministry had been involved in the development and review of policies, legislative and regulatory framework critical to achieving sustainable improvement in safety and health standard.
Mr Bolaji Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour and Employment said the world day for safety and health at work had become an event for the promotion, awareness raising and advocacy with regard to occupational safety and health issues.
He said that technological advances, changing work processes and work materials as well as organizational and social changes in the world of work had both positive and negative impact on occupational safety.
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