Organisations Urged To Implement Occupational Health, Safety Practice

The director, Institute of Safety and Loss Prevention (ISLP), Mazi Colman Obasi, has called on public and private organisations in Nigeria to implement the occupational Health and Safety (OHS) practice at the workplace to stem the high rate of occupational accidents in Nigeria.

Obasi, at a two-day training on “Managing the functions of Occupational Health and Safety in the Business,” in Lagos, lamented the nonchalant attitude of employers of labour when it comes to putting the necessary safety structures in place to safeguard the health and lives of their workers.

This has to change, the director averred and called on the government to ensure that the Occupational Health and Safety Bill is passed into law.

Obasi said if OHS measures are in place, the fatalities recorded at the workplace would have been prevented, while harping on the need for organisations to put safety measures in place to avert the trend.

On the benefits of OHS, the director said, “Studies have shown that a manufacturing company that invested in state-of-the-art safety equipment and implemented rigorous training programmes saw a significant reduction in workplace accidents. This not only saved lives but also led to substantial cost savings due to reduced insurance premiums and legal liabilities.

“In another case, a service-based organisation that prioritised employee wellbeing and provided ergonomic workstations reported higher levels of job satisfaction and lower turnover rates. This translated into improved customer satisfaction and a strengthened market position.”

On what ISLP is doing to ensure compliance of OHS at the workplace, the director disclosed that the training was one of the ways the Institution is helping to reduce avoidable accidents at the workplace.

“The training, which is meant for senior management officers of organisations, will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to be proactive in accident prevention and hazard control. It will guide management of companies on what to do to integrate OHS practice at the workplace,” he explained.

He posited that the training was necessary as most managers do not have safety measures in place to preserve the lives of their employees. “Most managers see OHS as expensive. They failed to realise that prevention is better than cure and putting OHS in place is cost effective,” he averred.

Obasi therefore called on the government to enforce laws that mandate employers of labour to put in place OHS departments at their various companies. That will encourage them to put all safety measures in place at all times, he affirmed.

In the same vein, the former president, Society of Occupational and Environmental Health Physicians of Nigeria (SOEHPON), Dr. Nicholas Okore, while speaking on “Preparing for Workplace Emergencies and Accident Investigation and Reporting,” said disasters don’t wait for anybody.

He therefore urged families, communities and businesses to have emergency and disaster plans in place year round. “As a business owner or employer, it is important to prioritise the safety of employees and have plans and procedures available that can be implemented quickly and efficiently,” he stated.

An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report estimates that people die every day as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases, as more than 2.78 million deaths occur every year.

In Nigeria, a study revealed that the country recorded 238 fatalities across different scores of the economy from 2014 to 2017, with 2015 having the highest number of work-related fatalities.