OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PARADIGMS IN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM: A JURISPRUDENTIAL ENQUIRY

Abstract

This work compares occupational health and safety measures in Nigeria and the UK. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) plays a vital role in ensuring the well-being and productivity of workers across the globe. Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) are two countries with distinct socio-economic landscapes and regulatory frameworks governing OHS. This work found and argued that with the enactment of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) of 2010 in Nigeria, the health, safety and welfare of the Nigerian worker, at least per legislative activism, has been significantly protected and secured. This, by no means, does suggest that the ECA is an improvement-immune piece of legislation. This paper further found out, and argued, that the ‘No Fault Principle’ encapsulated in the ECA serves as a cure to the litigation defects of the Factories Act, 1987 and the Common Law principle on prove of breach of the duty of care owed the employee by the employer. It is recommended that the ECA should be amended to allow for latitude in the listing of emerging occupational diseases; and also called for collaboration among government agencies in enforcement of OHS standards. This work was conducted using the doctrinal method to compare and contrast OHS paradigms in Nigeria and the UK, examining legislative frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, cultural attitudes, and the impact of globalization on OHS paradigms in Nigeria