By Yinka Adeniran/
In commemoration of the 2022 Global Day of Safety and Health Culture in the Environment, the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has warned every Nigerian to imbibe a safety culture with the aim of reducing and ultimately eliminating hazards in the environment.
The agency also called for a collective approach to safety if any meaningful impact must be achieved.
The Ibadan Regional Manager of NSITF, Mrs. Toyin Emeordi gave the advice at a lecture organized to commemorate the day at the Ring Road, Ibadan Headquarters of the NSITF on Thursday.
The commemoration, which started with a roadshow, was organized by the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) department of NSITF. The sensitization along the Ring Road axis of Ibadan harped on the importance of a safe and healthy workplace for employers of labour and their workers.
Free medical checkup was also provided for the staff and members of the public.
The Regional Head, HSE, Mr. Gbenga Oso, told NewsmakersNG that this year’s event is about sensitizing the public to embrace safety intelligence by imbibing a safety culture for an accident-free environment and optimal productivity.
He said the event cut across other four states in the region, namely Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Abeokuta, Osogbo, and throughout the various branches of the fund Nationwide.
Addressing the members of staff during the lecture, the Ibadan Regional Manager said this year’s theme “Let’s Act Together to Build a Positive Safety and Health Culture” was aimed at promoting a culture of safe and healthy living, especially at the workplace.
She added that the agency was 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.
Emeordi said, “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 dependents for injuries, disabilities, disease, and death sustained during or in the course of work, view this exercise as cogent and expedient in ensuring that our workplaces and environment are safe for daily activities.
“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.
“To this end and according to provisions of the ECA 2010, we are advocating, among others, the following:
“The enforcement of occupational safety and health standards in the workplace
“Rehabilitation of employees who suffer work-related injuries, occupational diseases or disabilities, and provision of fair and guaranteed adequate compensation for all injured employees.
“It should be noted that for a safe and healthy environment to be created, not only at the workplace but everywhere, everyone is expected to imbibe a safety culture aimed at reducing and possibly eliminating hazards in our environment.
“This should be a collective approach that will have a meaningful impact on our society capable of being bequeathed to the coming generations.
“In conclusion, let us ensure and promote an accident-free culture in our workplace, homes, and environment, in order to build a positive safety and health culture together, which will consequently lead to maximum productivity, a healthier workforce, and rapid societal development.”
The guest lecturer, Mr. Asaolu Olanrewaju, a safety consultant said that the culture of safety requires conscious and deliberate effort and actions on the part of everyone.
He said that people must spread the culture by ensuring that co-workers and members of the family “do not do things that could put everyone in danger, either deliberately or not”.
He added, “The event is to sensitize the workforce and workers generally for them to be safety conscious at home, at work, and everywhere. Because if you are not safety conscious as a workforce, the accident is inevitable and that is why companies are trying to prevent accidents.
“When there are accidents, a lot of things suffer, for instance, you realize that the company bleeds financially because it will involve, medical, insurance, litigations and their reputation are at stake and so, it is very important to be proactive to nip it in the bud to prevent an accident.
“We try to avoid what can make company fall at the workplace 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 the unsafe condition is what you do, and another person suffers the consequences of your action.
“This year’s theme harps on the importance of collaboration on safety, between the management and the employee. It is a joint effort and when people engage in unsafe acts, someone else must call their attention to it before it boomerangs. So, it is a collective effort of everyone to see that safety at the workplace is taken more seriously to avoid accidents in the workplace.”
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