Adopt Safety as strategic organisational value, Warns Against Violation: Commissioner

Adopt Safety as strategic organisational value, Warns Against Violation: Commissioner 

The State Government in it's drive to mitigate industrial incident, has called on Multinational organisations across the State to adopt safety as a strategies for organisational value, warning to clamp down on violators.  

Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, sounded the note of warning during a one day training with the theme " Industrial Resilience and Safety Governance: Institutionalizing Compliance, Risk Control and Emergency Preparedness in Ogun State’, for Health Safety and Environment, (HSE) personnel held in Abeokuta.

Reiterating commitment to industrial safety, Oresanya said the State would no longer longer tolerate a situation where workplace safety “exists in manuals rather than in behavior.”

The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Kafayat Lawal, disclosed that during thorough inspections, facility evaluations, and initial safety audits, revealed disparity between the established policies and the actual practices in numerous industries throughout the State.

He warned that industrial safety can no longer depend on periodic government inspections alone, but must be built on continuous risk assessment, adding that proactive leadership competent personnel must be rooted culture of prevention.

Oresanya said, “Over the past months,the Ministry have undertaken extensive inspections,facility assessments safety audits for numerous industries operating within Ogun State, saying that the engagements have yielded invaluable insights on the important of review safety policies.

The Commissioner however, commended some organizations who have developed a commendable safety policies and documented management systems, noting that the Ministry findings revealed a significant gap between written procedures and actual operational practices.

“Too often, compliance is driven by inspections instead of conviction. Too often, risks are managed after incidents instead of before they occur. This reality demands a new approach.” Oresanya said.

Offering way out of the challenges, the commissioner hinted that government is advancing the transformation of the existing Safety Office into a fully empowered Ogun State Safety Commission, adding that the step would ensure industrial progress and public safety advance together as well as strengthen policy implementation, enhance technical oversight, improve enforcement, and promote international best practices in occupational safety and environmental protection.

In her welcome address, the permanent secretary, Dr. Kafayat Lawal, represented by Director, Environmental Quality Control, Water Regulatory, Enforcement and Advocacy, Mr Kayode Akinwande, urged all participants to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and cascade the training back to their various factories. She underscored the urgency of moving beyond compliance as a regulatory obligation to embracing safety as a strategic organizational value.

Also speaking at the event, the Principal Consultant in Safety, Mrs Dominga Odebunmi, said Ogun State has a huge stake in national development and must not be found wanting in Health, Safety, and Environment, saying that the State is key to the success of Nigeria.

In their separate submission , the State Chairman, Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, ISPON, Mr. Temitope Amoo and the Health Safety Officer, David Solarin, noted that the initiative is designed to move the State from its current position to where it ought to be, stressing that safety remains the bedrock of any sustainable business.

Urging all industries to comply with safety standards as safety is no longer merely compliance but corporate governance, aimed at preventing an accident before it happens.

One of the participants, Mr Vincent Okoronkwo appreciated the Ministry for its efforts so far, stressing that the training has helped in identifying the gaps which would significantly improve their operations.