Occupational Hazards Identification, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation in Contemporary Nigeria Society: The Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This paper examines the current state and potential future developments of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in Nigeria. OHS is a critical concern in the world and particularly in Nigeria, as workplace hazards pose risks to the health, safety, and well-being of workers. AI offers promising solutions to enhance hazard identification, risk evaluation, and control measures in OHS practices. The paper begins by providing an overview of AI, its subfields, and techniques commonly used in OHS. It then explores the real-time applications of AI in hazard identification, risk evaluation, and control measures, highlighting the benefits it brings to OHS practices. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges and considerations in adopting AI in Nigeria, including infrastructure limitations, skill gaps, and ethical concerns. Based on the analysis, four suggestion were proposed for Nigeria’s OHS context. These suggestions include investment in AI infrastructure and research, capacity building programs to develop AI expertise; collaboration between stakeholders, and the establishment of regulatory frameworks to ensure responsible AI deployment. By embracing AI in OHS, Nigeria can improve workplace safety, mitigate risks, and protect the health and well-being of its workforce.