Lagos to penalise non-commitment to workplace safety

Lagos State would henceforth penalise organisations that not committed to preventing avoidable deaths, losses and injuries in the work place.

Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, who stated this recently at a symposium on occupational safety and health organised by the Lagos State Safety Commission, maintained that the non-tolerance is premised on the fact that the state government is determined to achieve the Vision Zero for a world of working without accidents, diseases or harm.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Dr Jemilade Longe, Ambode said as a government, it is committed to putting in place everything that is required to achieve the objective of making the work environment safe through effective monitoring and enforcement of relevant rules and regulations.

The Governor stated that the general wellbeing and safety of the people of Lagos State is paramount and an integral part of the on-going development agenda of the state.

His words: “The elimination of risks and hazards in the workplace and the enhancement of health safety of workers in the workplace through the introduction and implementation of policies and strategies geared towards building a sustainable safety culture through a synchronised, supervised and monitored safety system are very essential to improving the level of productivity.

“The current status of Lagos State as the industrial and commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and the West Africa sub region as well as its ranking as the 5th largest economy in Africa with a projection to become the 3rd largest in 2020, requires that special attention be given to safety concerns. Our vision is to elevate our safety regulations to global standards especially to the level obtainable in modern city states.”

Ambode noted that the symposium with the theme, ‘Achieving workplace safety in a mega smart city’ is part of the strategies being deployed by his administration to sustain the awareness on the need to prioritise the safety of workers in line with general acceptable global practices.

The governor said he expected that the forum would avail all stakeholders especially those in the safety industry the opportunity to provide input into the proposed Occupational Safety and Health Regulation.