Keep Safe & Work Well - Cammilus Elemuwa
The importance of Safety and Health management is a major consideration for a successful work place. Safety has overall implication on the image and growth of an organization, hence every responsible firm considers health & safety as a top priority in its budgeting, policy formation, analysis and execution. This explains why despite the recession in the economy with many companies facing budget constraints and cuts, we try to ensure that health and safety programmes do not trail behind in the scheme of things.
We must realize that a safe and healthy workforce is valuable asset for any organization. It is only when people are safe and healthy that jobs are properly executed.
It is important that employees stay in tune with latest safety strategies through inquisitive disposition to know and adhere to simple rules so as to avoid swelling up statistical ratios that are available on accident and fatality especially in the oil and gas and related industries. It becomes more worrisome if one falls into avoidable accidents, through ignorance or negligence. There are staggering records both locally and internationally on the rate of accident and consequences owing to lack of observance to safety rules. For example, the United States Occupational and Health Administration in one of its reports made it clear that the total fatality in the oil and gas is seven times greater than the rate for all United State Industry. This is really mindboggling as one begin to imagine what the figure would be in Nigeria that is still grappling with infrastructure to cope with the necessary health and safety challenges posed by the peculiarity of the business environment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry.
Strict adherence to safety measures by staff has so much long and short term benefits. The huge consequences of accidents are not limited to the victim but extends to the organization and family members who bear the brunt of such mishaps. While the family members reels in the pains of nursing wounded loved one, in a minor situation, or deep sense of loss in extreme case of death, the company also count its losses in terms of absence from work by the victim and possible payment of fines and litigation fees. Every responsible organization will certainty feel the pains of a dead or wounded effective and proactive staff.
I am pressed to briefly discuss for a while a common possible accident every one of us is prone to; Road crashes. Whether we drive to work, drive for work or for pleasure, a neglect of simple driving safety rules can result to accident that can drastically affect the physical ability of victims if they survive road crashes, hence it is imperative to adhere to safe driving rules. The joy of returning to loved ones at home after the close of work is heartwarming, we must therefore individually make conscious efforts to keep away from avoidable dangers, especially road crashes.
Reports have it that road crashes are among the highest causes of death with monumental loss on the victim and other stakeholders. I read in one report that the loss of wages for crash victim in the US in 2000 was about $61 billion. This figure is really huge and can be avoided through adherence to operational safety net mechanism set by some organization and other relevant agencies. The fall-out from adhering to safety rules if adequately followed is a win-win situation for parties involved. Simple rules such as, do not make calls while driving, do not drive above speed limit, use your sit-belt and so on are ways of employing safe driving skills on and off the job. It is only when we keep safe that our job will be a job well done.