Lagos Partners MAN On Workplace Safety Standards
The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensure comprehensive safety standards across all the workplaces in Lagos.
The Director General of the Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola disclosed this at an Environmental and Safety Seminar organised in collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) Apapa Branch, Lagos with the theme: ‘Seamless Environmental Regulations in Lagos State’.
Mojola explained that the forum is an interesting engagement where the Manufactures and Governmemt regulatory agencies are chatting a course towards ensuring accident reduction at workplaces.
He maintained that safety is a concerted efforts and everyone must imbibe the spirit of safety and take responsibility of 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 work place, learn new ways and involve in 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.
According to him,”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, avoid sharp practices that could cause accident that could lead to fatality”.
Going forward, he enjoined the association to continue to do things better,
“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 thier safety officers are registered appropriately and put in right investment to training of thier 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 challenges of disaster management.
The Branch Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN Mr. Frank Onyegbu, in his remarks, 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 business friendly environment, by analysing the expectations and ease of compliance for 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 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.
“Our margins are going down and the diesel prices are rising, the bad roads is next to nothing. In 2023, we seek for more collaboration and hope multiple inspection reduce and there would be an harmonised inspection.”
Also speaking on the activities of the Government, Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA General Manager Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni enlightened participants on how to dispose off 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 round the State to sensitize members of the public to imbibe culture of solid waste management.
He enjoined the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) to comply with the environmental law and ensure adequate support in the areas of advocacy and proper waste management.
The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.also urged participants to ensure voluntarily compliance with the State regulations, stressing that 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 Government agencies at the event includes Lagos State Fire and Resque Service, Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency, LASAA, Lagos Water Regulatory who lend a voice on how the associations can key into the operations of various government regulatory agencies.
Source:- Von.gov
