World Safety Day: Experts harp on collective effort to prevent accidents

In commemoration of the 2022 global Day of Safety and Health Culture in the Environment, the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), has urged Nigerians to imbibe a safety culture, aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating hazards in the environment.

During a lecture organised to commemorate the day, held at the Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, Headquarters of the NSITF, the Ibadan Regional Manager of NSITF, Mrs Toyin Emeordi, called for a collective approach to safety if any meaningful impact must be achieved.

The commemoration, which started with a road show around Ring Road, Challenge and Adeoyo areas of Ibadan, saw the officials of NSITF sensitising members on the need to be safety and health conscious in their activities and providing free medical checkup for the staff and other members of the public.

Emeordi disclosed that the 2022 theme: “Let’s act together to build a positive safety and health culture”, is aimed at promoting a culture of safe and healthy living, especially at the workplace, noting that the agency is joining the international community to create awareness for the purpose of promoting the safety of workers in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

She stated: “The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, being the sole agency responsible for the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, which is geared at providing social protection in terms of compensation to employees and their dependants for injuries, disabilities, disease and death sustained during or in the course of work, views this exercise as cogent and expedient in ensuring that our workplaces and environment are safe for daily activities.”

Emeordi disclosed that with the provision for claims, as embedded in the Scheme in respect of the above-listed, it is important to note that prevention of eventualities is better than resultant cure, therefore, according to the provisions of the ECA 2010, the agency is advocating, among others, the following:

“The enforcement of occupational safety and health standards in the work place

 “Rehabilitation of employees who suffer work related injuries, occupational diseases or disabilities, and 

 “Provision of fair and guaranteed adequate compensation for all injured employees.”

She enjoined everyone to promote an accident-free culture in the workplace, home and environment, in order to collectively build a safety and health culture, which would consequently lead to maximum productivity, a healthier workforce and rapid societal development, capable of being bequeathed to coming generations.

The Guest Lecturer, Mr Asaolu Olanrewaju, a safety consultant, noted that imbibing the culture of safety requires a conscious, deliberate effort and action on the part of everyone, who must spread the culture by ensuring that co-workers and members of the family do not do things that could put anyone in danger, either deliberately or not.

He said: “If you are not safety conscious as a workforce, accident is evitable and that is why companies are trying to prevent accidents. When there are accidents, a lot of things suffer. For instance, you realise that the company bleeds financially, because it will involve medical, insurance, litigations and their reputation is at stake.

 “We try to avoid what can make company fall and there are lots of accidents caused by unsafe acts and unsafe conditions. Unsafe acts are the things you do and you suffer the consequences of your actions. But unsafe condition is what you do and another person suffers the consequences of your action,” Asaolu explained.

He noted that the year 2022 theme harped on the importance of collaboration on safety between the management and the employee, saying it is the responsibility of everyone to see that safety at the workplace is taken more seriously, so as to eliminate accidents in the workplace.

Dominica Nwabufo