28/04/2026
The NISafetyE Message on World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026
Distinguished Council members, Fellows, esteemed Members across the globe,
Today, 28 April, we join the global community to mark the 2026 World Day for Safety and Health at Work, a day dedicated to prevention, reflection, and renewed commitment to protecting human life at work.
The 2026 theme, “Good psychosocial working environments: a pathway to thriving workers and strong organisations,” reminds us of a critical truth: safety is not only about machines, structures, and procedures.
In the words of the ILO, psychosocial working environments are shaped by “how work is designed, organised and managed, and how these factors influence workers’ safety, health and performance.”
In Nigeria, this message is urgent. Estimates indicate that Nigeria records some of the highest rates of workrelated fatalities globally, with many incidents never reported. Over 80 percent of our workforce operates in the informal economy, where long hours, job insecurity, fatigue, and weak supervision are common. These psychosocial pressures contribute directly to human error, accidents, ill health, and loss of life.
Psychosocial hazards such as excessive workload, unclear roles, bullying, poor safety leadership, and workrelated stress are real occupational hazards. If we design systems that protect equipment but exhaust people, accidents become inevitable.
For the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, this day calls us to leadership. Safety engineering in the modern world must be humancentred. Our risk assessments, safety cases, designs, and management systems must address psychosocial risks with the same rigour we apply to physical hazards.
Our call to action is clear:
The NISafetyE will champion the integration of psychosocial risk management into safety engineering practice.
We will build capacity in this area through training, guidance, and professional standards.
We will engage regulators, employers, and policymakers to strengthen Nigeria’s occupational safety and health framework.
We commit to designing work that protects both people and performance.
Employers call to action:
Safety leadership starts with you. Design work that is realistic and humane. Manage workloads, working hours and organisational change responsibly.
Tackle bullying, harassment and poor supervision with the same seriousness as physical hazards. Investing in healthy psychosocial working environments is not a cost, it is a driver of safety, productivity, resilience and business sustainability.
In doing this, we honour those who have lost their lives at work, protect those working today, and help build safer, healthier, and more resilient workplaces for Nigeria.
Thank you, and happy World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
Warm regards in safety and service,
Engr. Andrew M. Abanum, PhD, FNSE, FNISafetyE
National Chairman
Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE)
April 28, 2026
