NSE seeks enforcement of safety practice at construction sites

October 18, 2012 18:39

Audio attached

NSE seeks enforcement of safety practice at construction sites

NAN-HE-4

Safety

Lagos, Oct. 18, 2012 (NAN) Mr Olatunde Jaiyesimi, the Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), on Thursday, called for adequate enforcement of health and safety rules at construction site across the country.

 

Jaiyesimi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

 

He said that lack of penalties against contractors, who failed to observe the health and safety rules, has made the issue not to be taken seriously in the construction industry.

 

According to him, there is usually a course in the engineering profession called ‘health and safety’, which teaches engineers everything concerning safety at construction sites.

 

Jaiyesimi said that many contractors, after undergoing the course, do not put them in practice.

 

Cue in audio (Jaiyesimi)

 

``Accident is either caused by negligence or by probably ignorance. Negligence can only be handled by proper training; proper trainings are done in different ways.

 

``You can be trained in an institution; you can be trained through workshop and seminar; you can equally be trained on site.

 

''When you are talking of safety, it starts from probably personal safety.

 

``Personal safety on site starts from you probably wearing protective gears like boots, like the helmet that is worn on the head, like gloves, like nose protector, like even in some cases where you have some heavy sound.

 

``You can use something to block your ear to prevent the effect of that sound affecting your ear.

 

``There is the goggle speck to protect the eye.

 

``So all these personal safety things are very important and they all depend on the type of job you are doing on that particular site.”

 

Cue out audio (Jaiyesimi)

 According to him, there are group of peoples who specialise in training the site workers on health and safety.

 

 He said that they were usually engaged for big construction project.

 

The chairman stressed that health and safety should also be taken seriously even at small construction projects.

 

He said that there were laws guiding the issue of health and safety but that contractors and clients often failed to obey them.

 

According to him, there is workmen compensation insurance policy called ‘contractors all-risk policy’, adding the policy allows the insurance industry to take care of site accidents, up to death.

 

He advised contractors to take workmen compensation insurance policy from the onset of a project.

 

Jaiyesimi said that they should always ensure compliance to construction health and measures. (NAN)

LUC/AIB/MSAD

=============