Nigeria loses over N30billion to fireoutbreak annually, the Managing Director of General Safety Service Limited, Dr, Lateef Alebiosu has said.
Alebiosu, who stated this at the Nigeria Safety Award for Excellence Hall of Fame 2019 (9JASAFE), held recently in Lagos, said accidents , sometimes are inevitable; in Nigeria and every other place in the world.
He noted that it could happen, resulting to a minor cut from a fall over a spilled water on the tiles in the office or at home, and to a razed organisation complex from a fireoutbreak. However, he said ,” it could vary magnitude and consequences.
Accidents could be reduced through strong safety policy formation and continuously applying ourselves to core professional ethics of our different industry.”
Alebiosu, who was former President of Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPN) said that safety in Nigeria is still evolving , despite her peculiar challenges as a developing nation.
He stated that this is because there is no current national legislation that that mandates stakeholders and regulators alike.
According to him, the closest thing to a national law is the factory Act 1987 and the CAP 126 in 1990 and the recent factory Act 2004.
He explained that in the absence of strict regulations, health and safety is approached and seen as actions relegated to use of common-sense practice by most employers and businesses that pay little or no attention to its practice except adopted world best practices.
On Nigeria economy, he said International Monetary Fund estimated to be 63 percent in 2014, and projected to rise by 4.5 percent in 2015 and with the increase in foreign investment, priortise health and safety is non-negotiable for a variable and sustainable common wealth of the people.
Speaking on the Nigeria safety award, the Chairman Lagos Branch, Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPN ), Engr. Timothy Iwuagwu, said that the award was set up to recognize outstanding commitment of individuals, corporate organizations, and professional institutions towards promoting and raising safety consciousness.