Workplace safety “exists in manuals rather than in behaviour,” the Ogun State Government has warned, reiterating its opposition to the current state of affairs.
During a training workshop for Health Safety and Environment (HSE) personnel in Ogun State on Tuesday, the warning was delivered by Ola Oresanya, the Commissioner for Environment.
Held in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, the workshop titled “Industrial Resilience and Safety Governance: Institutionalising Compliance, Risk Control and Emergency Preparedness” covered a range of topics.
While conducting comprehensive inspections, evaluating facilities, and initial safety audits, Oresanya, through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Kafayat Lawal, disclosed that a large gap existed between the stated policies and the actual practices in a number of industries across the state.
Continuous risk assessment, proactive leadership, competent personnel, and a deeply ingrained culture of prevention are the new pillars upon which industrial safety must rest, he said, emphasising that government inspections alone are not enough.
Several industries in Ogun State have been subject to thorough inspections, facilities assessments, and preliminary safety audits in recent months, according to Oresanya. I have learned a great deal from these endeavours.
Our research shows that there is a big difference between written procedures and real operational practices, even though many companies have excellent safety policies and established management systems. Safety is more often found in rules and regulations than in actual actions.
Inspections, rather than conviction, are the driving forces behind compliance all too frequently. It is more common to control hazards after the fact rather than before they happen. Given this fact, a fresh strategy is necessary.
In response, the commissioner announced that the government is moving forward with plans to merge the current Safety Office with the Ogun State Safety Commission, strengthening the latter and reiterating the former’s mission to promote joint industrial and public safety advancements.
The proposed Commission, he said, will promote international best practices in occupational safety and environmental protection, strengthen enforcement, improve technical oversight, and strengthen policy implementation.
The observations, according to the permanent secretary’s welcome address, guided the program’s design and highlight the critical need to elevate safety from a regulatory requirement to a strategic organisational value.
Ogun State is crucial to Nigeria’s success and safety is essential for the country to stand, according to Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, Principal Consultant in Safety, who spoke at the event. Odebunmi added that Ogun State must not be found wanting in Health, Safety, and Environment because of its huge stake in national development.