El Niño: Council rolls out Nationwide safety guidelines for construction workers

Nigeria’s Sector Skills Council for Building has directed construction firms to suspend non-essential heavy outdoor work between 12pm and 3:30pm to protect workers from El Niño heat.

The Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria has introduced new safety rules to protect construction workers from extreme heat caused by El Niño, P.M. News reported. In a national safety advisory issued on Tuesday and signed by Council President Samson Ameh Opaluwah, the Council directed construction companies and property developers to suspend non-essential heavy outdoor work between 12pm and 3:30pm.

According to the Council, rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells, dusty conditions and flash flooding are exposing workers to heatstroke, respiratory illnesses and workplace accidents. It identified roofing, concrete pouring, manual excavation and scaffolding as activities to avoid during peak heat, and recommended moving them to between 6am and 10:30am or late afternoons, with adequate lighting where work extends into the night.

Clean drinking water must be available within 50 metres of every active work area, while first aid stations must stock Oral Rehydration Salts, ice packs and wet towels. The Council warned that heat exposure could cause fatal heatstroke.