In a solemn response to the recent elevator accident that took place at General Hospital Odan on Lagos Island, which claimed the life of a young medical doctor named Dr Diaso Ovaere 2 weeks before completing her housemanship.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, August 1, 2023, has raised significant concerns about elevator safety and maintenance standards in various workplaces.
According to sources, Vwaere fell from the 10th level to the ground floor in the elevator she had taken to pick up her food from a dispatch rider. The severity of the incident was aggravated by a reported one-hour delay in removing her body and getting her to the emergency room, ultimately leading to her untimely death.
The hospital’s past knowledge of elevator concerns was one critical safety concern raised following this sad tragedy. Tweets from hospital employees revealed that complaints about the broken elevator had previously been addressed, but no meaningful steps had been done to solve the issue.
The OSHAssociation reacted aggressively following the incident that could have been averted if only safety measures, precautions, regular checkups, and maintenance had been done properly, and that it occurred as a result of negligence on the part of the management.
The Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHAssociation), a renowned international organisation dedicated to promoting and ensuring workplace safety, emphasised the urgent need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident. They called on government agencies, relevant authorities and the public to raise massive safety awareness in preventing the loss of lives and properties and implementing necessary safety measures in compliance to preventing the occurrences of workplace hazard and tragedies.
The organization also urged Nigerian to report any faulty equipment’s or unsafe practices that could result to the loss of lives and properties therefore promoting safety concerns and emphasizing the importance of collective Compliance in preventing accidents , preserving lives as well properties.