5 BIG CONSTRUCT: CONSTRUCTION FIRMS PLEDGE TO ENFORCE SAFETY BEST PRACTICES IN THE SECTOR

No less than 200 construction firms have recently resolved to upgrade the welfare of their staff as well as the potency of their project delivery and service through the inculcation of standardized safety best practices in the country.

The Construction companies resolved to eradicate hazards present in the construction sites during The Big 5 Construct Event which was held recently at the Landmark Center, Lagos.

Since its inception, the Big 5 Construct Nigeria is the largest gathering of the construction and infrastructure community in Nigeria which connects suppliers with quality buyers from across Nigeria and the West African region as well as promoting innovation, sharing cutting-edge knowledge, and accelerating business. Hence it is the biggest event that assembles top stakeholders, and captains of industries from the Building/construction sector to discuss and deliberate on issues pondering on standards as well as modern innovations and prospects for improved, standardized and qualitative service delivery in the sector.

Illuminating the company’s representative, stakeholders as well as delegates on the need to improve their standard of operation as far as Occupational Safety and Health Best practices in concerned, the Regional Administrator of the Occupational Safety and Health Association- Nigeria region, Engr. Emmanuel Uwalaka pointed out the difference between hazards and risk in the Building/construction sector as well as the modalities that are needed in other to prevent/address such occurrences if or when they occur.

In his presentation titled “Strategies of Achieving Safety Best Practices in the Construction Industry”, Engr. Uwalaka itemized the common causes of fatalities and Injuries in the sector which according to him can be duly avoided if proper regulations, as well as adherence to stipulated safety guidelines, are upheld. He also emphasized that it is the responsibility of the management staff of firms r to not only provide all the materials and modalities to ensure the safety of their staff but also enforce regulations that will bring about complete adherence alongside compliance in the long run.

“As an employer, it is important to understand who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace and what actions you can take to ensure the health and safety of your employees, contractors, and others who may be affected by your operational activities,” He said.

He also called on the stakeholders present as well as heads of organizations to key into the National Safety Advocacy project (NSAP 2021-2023) which according to him will not just help them develop their service standards in terms of Health and Safety, but will  empower them to also contribute to the development and localization of safety best practices and structures for the benefit of the general public.’

Responding to the charge, the Construction firm’s representatives attested that there is a gap that needs to be bridged urgently in terms of safety localization in the sector. They also noted that the sector being a backbone of the national economy needs to be revamped as this will not only bring about better and safe service delivery during project construction but will see that the welfare of the workforce is improved substantially thus boosting their continence while they go about their productive activities while on site.

OSHAssociation has never relented in ensuring that all sectors are reached out to with the gospel of safety and its best practices. To this extent, the Association has been conducting seminars, training programs, and advocacy campaigns as well as participating in conferences and external events all in its bid to see that the general public starting from stakeholders down to the least of Nigerians are enlightened on the benefit of safety adherence.

MARITIME SAFETY: Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) equipped their Staff with the Workplace Safety Knowledge

In fulfillment of its mandate stunting fatalities, accident, and incidents across all sectors of the nation’s economy as well as extensive safety advocacy, the Occupational Safety and Health Association in collaboration with the Spring Creek Integrated recently organized a one day Health and Safety Awareness Course for the management staff of the Nigerian Shippers council through the virtual platform.

Declaring the safety awareness training open, the Executive Director of OSHAssociation United Kingdom, John Flynn FOSHA, said that the issue of safety remains an issue of critical concern across all sectors, especially the maritime sector. While itemizing some of the key issues of safety concern, John Flynn opined that more efforts are required as regards policies and regulations development, which will go a long way to revamp the sector by instilling a substantive level of safety consciousness and confidence in the mind of workers in the sector.

While charging the management staff to ensure health and safety compliance in the council, the OSHAssociation Executive Director expressed his optimism that the continued Safety Capacity Development training will help the council as far as Occupational Safety and Health best practices and its localization is concerned in the country. According to him, the Association training is specifically tailored to suit industrial needs and peculiarities as far as Health and Safety are concerned in the Maritime Sector.

“OSHAssociation provide safety training programmes tailored to the needs of ships, shipyards, and their workers. No matter what your workday looks like, our training not only suits the industry but instills a substantive level of consciousness in the mind of the workers of the sector and ensures that they are equipped with all the fundamental and vital knowledge to see that they carry out their activities safely. He said.

Similarly, the Regional Administrator of the Association, Engr. Emmanuel Uwalaka gave a brief erudition on the strides and achievement of the Association in public sector and it’s impact as regards effective safety advocacy across all sectors of the economy. While expressing his delight in the Continues Capacity training programmes which is being premiered, Engr. Uwalaka attributed the high rate of accidents and fatalities across the nation to a lack of compliance to set safety guidelines as well as deliberate ignorance and disregards to safety measures.

Speaking at the event, the chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Association, Dr. Chris Mitchell FOSHA educated the staff on the need for management staff to also be safety leaders in their workplaces. In his presentation on “Continuous Development and Improvement on Workplace Safety: A Gradual Journey to Health And Safety Skills in the Workplace”, Dr. Chris emphasized the need to enact a working organisational safety culture in a workplace which according to him is very vital because “actions driven by organizational believes can have a significant influence on the workers’ action.

While itemizing the reasons for resistance to achieving a safety culture include doubt, leadership, infrastructural, and motivation among others, Dr. Chris established that the characteristics of a positive safety culture must include value, personal safety, willingness, and safe behaviors adding that an individual can be committed to safety wholly especially if they are consciously competent, reward safe behaviors, looks at eliminating causes of hazards instead of placing blames, as well as demonstrating and active behavior towards coworkers.

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Ayoola Kolawole Ishola MOSHA; a Safety Engineer gave common examples of Shipping and Port Accidents including the modalities that ought to be implemented to prevent or address the situation as the case may be. Mr. Kola in his presentation titled “Workplace Health and Safety Best Practices in Shipping and Port Operations” explained that everyone (including the supervisor, the employer as well as the organization) has a critical role to play in terms of health and Safety at workplace.

OSHAsssociation has never relented in ensuring that the gospel of safety is localized extensively, especially through awareness, training and capacity development programmes for organizations across different sectors of the industry. This and many other strides have so far established the Association as the top training and impacting institution in Nigeria and beyond as far as Occupational Safety and Health are concerned.

– Team

Safety View Media

FG Partners OSHAssociation for Safety Capacity Building in the Civil Service

Understanding the need to improve the Capacity of Public servants, The Federal Government recently collaborated with the Occupational Safety and Health Association – Nigeria region to train and develop the capacity of some of its officers on Health, Safety and Environmental best practices in workplaces.

This collaboration is the FG intervention towards improving the welfare of civil servants in terms of occupational safety and health in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Recall that the FG recently released a circular to MDAs mandating them to establish OSH desk offices and also deploy desk officers to man the desk.  According to the circular, these officers would undergo training to get them equipped with the fundamental knowledge to understand the roles they ought to play in their organisations.

Premiering this mandate, officers from the Office of the Head of civil service of the Federation underwent a three (3) days intensive Professional Training and Certification on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE level 1,2 & 3- Supervisor Course) conducted by the training department of OSHAssociation.

Charging the officers, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Folasade Yemi-Esan, noted that the training is a power step premiering the circular that will bring a revamp to the welfare and working operations of public servants in the country.

Represented by the Director, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department, Dr Comfort Adeosun, The HOCSF called on the Officers to take the training serious as all knowledge gained will trickle down towards ensuring safety and best practices in their workplaces as well as their homes. According to her, safety was becoming an emergency issue hence all hands must come on deck to revamp the public sector and ensure that public servants are safe when they carry out their respective duties.

Declaring the event open, The Region President of OSHAssociation –Nigeria Region HRH, Dr, Amb. Olusegun Aderemi FOSHA appreciated the Office of the HOSCF for finding in the Association a competent and professional training institution to be the driver of this mega project.

Represented by the Chairman Council of Fellows, Dr Dalhatu Moohammed FOSHA declared the willingness of the Association to utilize its training centres across the country to train and improve the capacity of public servants across all sectors of the economy.

“Safety is our life, and we are ever ready to deploy our network to see that Safety is being localized extensively in the country,” he said.

The public servants were trained in several courses including Workplace Health and Safety, Fire safety and prevention, and Foundation in Occupational Safety and Health among others.

OSHAssociation remains resolute to stunting fatalities, accidents and incidents in the country and will continue to deploy any means possible including advocacy campaigns, workshops, and training amongst others to bring a revamp as far as OSH best practices are concerned in the country.

OSH NATIONAL WORKSHOP: FG DECLARES ITS COMMITMENT TO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Understanding the need to enforce Occupational Health and Safety best practices across all sectors of the economy, the Federal Government recently directed MDAs to establish desk offices to attend to such issues.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (CSF), Folasade Yemi-Esan, disclosed this on Thursday during the OSH National Workshop which was held at the conference Hall of the Raw Material Research and Development Council, Maitama, Abuja.

The Workshop with the theme “Safety and Security Knowledge: The Key to Saving Lives, assembles critical stakeholders from both the Public and the Concerned Private Sector.Yemi-Esan, who was represented by the Director, of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department, Dr Comfort Adeosun, noted that safety was becoming an emergency issue.

While disclosing that a circular was issued to MDAs mandating them to establish desk offices and officers to man them, adding that the desk officers would be trained to know the roles they ought to play in their organisations, Yemi-Esan explained that “the head of the service is concerned about improving the welfare of civil servants and we expect that the private sector will also come on board to ensure that workers are safe. She nonetheless assured the citizenry of her office’s resolve  to concretise its partnership with OSHAssociation to secure a healthy working environment for civil servants.

Declaring the event open, the Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauli Talen FOSHA noted that safety is paramount as its implementation will go a long way in preventing and addressing violence against women and girls which according to her should be a key part of the national response plan to nation’s unity.
Represented by Ms Gloria Ekanem, the women’s Minister noted that Safety Knowledge aligns with fundamental human rights and remains key to understanding interpersonal relationships. how to treat others.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Rabiu Magaji, the Chairman of the National Safety Advocacy Programme (NSAP) in his presentation titled “Best Practices for the Establishment of OSH in the Public Sector: Prospects, Challenges and Way Forward.

He asserted that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says more than 6,500 people around the world die every day of work-related illnesses and over 1,000 people a day from occupational accidents.
According to him, these accidents result in financial losses such as direct and indirect costs of reconstruction, recovery and reconversion of industrial sites; production interruptions; lost working time; workers’ compensation payments, among others. He added that “apart from these economic costs, there are intangible costs arising from immense human emotional and physical suffering and work-related stress for individual workers and their families.
“The environmental impacts of industrial hazards do not recognise borders, and their repercussions spread from local to national, regional and international levels. “Occupational accidents and diseases cause dreadful human pain and suffering, as well as important economic losses, yet awareness of the problem is still too low”, he said.

The Delegate was also enlightened on diverse Health and Safety Issues including Safety and Security Knowledge in the workplace, Professional Financial Safety intelligence, Crime factors, and Prevention and Control Strategies.
Topping the event was the conferment of Fellowship to 15 prominent individuals in recognition of their immense contribution towards the implementation of Safety best practices in their different areas of influence alongside the induction of 5 organisations as corporate members of the Association. A total of 26 individuals were also inducted as Members of the association in different categories.

OSHAssociation has since its inception remained resolute to the mandate of stunting Fatalities, Accidents and Incidence across all sectors of the economy through its diverse advocacy campaigns such as workshops, and training programs among others all to see that the level of Safety Consciousness of Nigerians improves across the board.

Unveiling of the OSHA National Safety Advocacy Project (2021 – 2023)

The OSHA National Safety Advocacy Project (NSAP) was unveiled by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire alongside other major stakeholders from the public and private institutions on 10th December 2020 at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Conference Hall, Mabushi Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. Other participating dignitaries at the event included the Hon. Minister of Environment, the Hon. Minister of Labour & Employment, Hon. Minister of Water Resources and the Executive Governor of Lagos State, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health.
 Project Committee Members  
The Committee members for the National Safety Advocacy Project are drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, International Donor Organisations as well as concerned private organisations in Nigeria to drive proactive safety solutions in all sectors of the economy and create an effective workplace safety and health awareness culture; and technically support the development of appropriate safety structures to achieve the objectives of the project in Nigeria.

The Safety Mandate

Following the mandate of the Occupational Safety & Health Association (OSHAssociation) to achieve zero deaths, fatalities and incidents in workplaces through the implementation of preventive strategies in all the sectors of the economy, including the informal sectors in Nigeria, we hereby request the partnership of all the organisations in Nigeria to join forces to support and provide realistic solutions to Health, Safety, Security and Environmental challenges in Nigeria.

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