The Lagos State Safety Commission has reiterated its resolve to ensure comprehensive safety standards across all the workplaces in Lagos.
The Director General of the Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola gave this indication at an Environmental and Safety Seminar organised in collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Apapa Branch, Lagos with the theme: ‘Seamless Environmental Regulations in Lagos State’.
Mojola explained that the forum is an interesting engagement where the Manufacturers and Government regulatory agencies are charting a course toward ensuring accident reduction at workplaces.
He maintained that safety is a concerted effort and everyone must imbibe the spirit of safety and take responsibility for ensuring that the environment is well protected from any form of hazards.
“Manufacturers Association of Nigeria should do things better in the coming year, let us take safety as a collective responsibility and do away with complacency at the workplace, learn new ways and involve in a consistent training workshop that would assist to make our personnel better equipped.”
“We need to take issues of safety very important because the statistics are glaring; 2.3 million accident in a year, 6,300 a day and 260 in an hour.
“The whole point of this engagement session is to speak to ourselves and identify that safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Don’t turn blind eyes, abate that nuisance because that nuisance could even cause an accident that could even lead to a fatality.” he said.
Going forward, he enjoined the association to continue to do things better.
According to him “For 2023, the talk basically for them is that there are standards and guidelines and procedures that have been laid down.
We would like them to ensure that they follow all these regulatory processes and obtain their safety clearance certificate and ensure their safety officers have registered appropriately and put in the right investment to the training of their staff.”
He also harped on the need to train and retrain staff on safety rules and ensure the right people are employed to take up the challenges of disaster management.
Enabling environment
The branch chairman, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN) Mr. Frank Onyegbu, challenged the regulatory agencies to ensure enabling environment is created to allow businesses to thrive.
Onyegbu explained that the whole essence of the event is to create a path towards a business-friendly environment, by analysing the expectations and ease of compliance for the 2023 business year.
He expressed confidence that the seminar would go a long way to forge a cordial relationship between government bodies and the association to ensure a seamless working ambience that will reduce the cost of doing business.
He also bemoaned the rising cost of doing business which is having a negative impact on their operations, urging the regulatory agencies to bear with them in the area of financial services.
He said: “Our margins are going down and the diesel prices are rising, and the bad roads are next to nothing. In 2023, we seek more collaboration and hope multiple inspections reduce and there would be a harmonised inspection.”
Agencies operations
The General Manager of Lagos State Waste Management Authority, (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni while speaking on the activities of LAWMA and expectations of the agency from the association, enlightened participants on how to dispose of their waste and measures put in place to regulate waste disposal in the State.
Odumboni who was represented by Mr. Olumide Mumuni said the agency has been going around the State to sensitize people for them to imbibe the culture of solid waste management.
He however enjoined the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to comply with the environmental law and ensure adequate support in the areas of advocacy on proper waste management.
Some of the participating government agencies which include the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency, (LASAA), Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA among others guided the association on how to key into the operations of various regulatory agencies.
The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority also urged them to ensure voluntarily compliance with the State regulations, stressing it is more economical for the government when people comply with the rules guiding the planning permit.
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) also urged the association to key into standard environmental practice, controlling emissions, pollution control, and storage of materials and usage of personal protective equipments.
Other participating Lagos agencies at the Seminar include, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos Waste Water management amongst others.
Olusola Akintonde
