Nepal strengthens action on chemical safety with worker protection at its core

KATHMANDU (ILO News) - Nepal is stepping up efforts to better protect workers from hazardous chemical exposure and strengthen safety and health at work through improved prevention, national coordination and workplace chemical risk management.

The dialogue came at an important time as the use of hazardous chemicals continues to expand across agriculture, manufacturing, construction, healthcare and other sectors.

While Nepal has made progress in strengthening its legal and institutional framework for occupational safety and health, challenges remain in coordination, implementation, workplace chemical risk management, data sharing and technical capacity.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment (MoYLE), convened a national policy dialogue in Kathmandu, bringing together government institutions, employers' and workers' organizations, industry representatives, technical experts and development partners to identify practical actions for safer chemicals management and healthier workplaces.

The dialogue aimed to review Nepal's existing legal, policy and institutional framework for chemicals management and occupational safety and health (OSH), strengthen coordination among key institutions and social partners, and identify priority actions to improve chemical safety at the national and workplace levels.

Opening remarks by Numan Özcan, ILO Country Director for Nepal.

It also provided a platform to share international standards and good practices, including the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC), relevant ILO international labour standards and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The discussions sought to build consensus on recommendations to inform future policy, institutional strengthening and capacity-building in Nepal.

Speaking at the event, Numan Özcan, Director of the ILO Country Office for Nepal, said: "Guided by ILO standards, social dialogue and tripartite cooperation are essential to identifying practical priority actions and strengthening Nepal's systems for ensuring safe and healthy working environments for all workers."

A key focus of the dialogue was moving from identifying gaps to defining practical and coordinated action. Discussions focused on strengthening legal, policy and institutional arrangements; improving the identification and management of chemical risks in workplaces; building awareness and technical capacity; and enhancing cooperation among government, employers and workers.

Participants engaged in group discussions to identify priority actions across three key themes, including institutional frameworks, chemical risk management, and capacity building.

The dialogue also emphasized a preventive approach to chemical safety, prioritizing the elimination or substitution of hazardous chemicals wherever possible, followed by engineering controls and safe systems of work, with personal protective equipment used as the last line of defence.

The workshop brought together representatives from government, employers' and workers' organisations, civil society, academia, development partners, and UN agencies to promote inclusive participation.

Participants identified priority areas for follow-up and discussed recommendations to strengthen chemical safety governance and support Nepal's implementation of the Global Framework on Chemicals. These efforts are expected to contribute to better institutional coordination, stronger workplace prevention and improved national capacity to protect workers from chemical hazards.

For more information, please contact:

Nistha Rayamajhi

Communications Officer

ILO Country Office for Nepal

https://www.ilo.org/nepal