An Assessment of the Regulatory Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Safeguards in Uganda’s Oil and Gas Industry

Abstract

Uganda is in an advanced stage of extracting oil from the Albertine Region to drive economic development. However, in as much as oil is a highly useful resource, its extraction and processing have world over been associated with occupational health and safety incidents and environmental disasters. Scholars have contended that legislation is key in mitigating the said incidents. Against the above background, this research critically assessed Uganda’ regulatory framework for safeguards for prevention of occupational safety incidents in the said industry with special focus on work safety and health committees which are key to the safety of the work environment in the said industry. The study adopted the doctrinal research method and the comparative research method. The provisions of various laws regulating work safety committees in the oil and gas industry were evaluated against international standards for their adequacy in ensuring a safe working environment in the upstream and midstream sectors. The regulatory framework for safety and health committees in Uganda was compared with the regulatory framework of the same safeguards in Norway and South Africa. The study revealed that Uganda is yet to ratify key international standards on workplace safety in the oil and gas industry and its regulatory framework for workplace safety committees is dysfunctional with an attendant risk that the said industry is likely to register occupational safety and health incidents which would otherwise be mitigated by a regulatory framework that is compliant with international standards.