Stakeholders rate Promasidor high on safety

Experts in the safety and health sector of the Nigerian economy have scored Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk, high for its safety measures and policies which they said are effective. They gave the commendation at a safety day organised by the company in Lagos on Tuesday.

Leading the pack is the Chief Medical Director, St. Raphael Hospital Limited, Dr. Anthony Omotola; who addressed the company’s employees on: “Occupational Health and Safety”.

 

Omotola stated that the operating environment for any company ought to be adapted to the physiological and psychological needs of employees, otherwise the workforce would be unduly exposed to unnecessary hazards that may affect the health and security of workers.

 

The CMD stressed that occupational health is an aspect of public health programme established to ensure that the health status of everybody in any occupation is protected, maintained and promoted. His words: “Creating a healthy work place and workforce in any occupational environment is the best way to position that occupation for better delivery of services.”

 

According to him, the task of ensuring safety of lives and property in work place is the joint responsibility of employers and employees. For employers, Omotola said that every company is expected to protect its employees from work place hazards through adopting feasible engineering and practice controls to reduce and eliminate hazards. He added that companies should also enforce usage of appropriate personal protective equipments (PPE).

 

For employees, Omotola advised that they must attend all PPE training sessions; use appropriately the PPEs assigned to them; follow all security warnings and precautions; as well as promptly report all unsafe conditions to their immediate supervisors.

 

The CMD noted that for Promasidor to organise the Safety Day, it shows that the company has a culture of safety consciousness which he said is commendable and should be emulated by other firms. His conclusion is: “Safety is a team effort.”

 

Similarly, the Executive Director, Safety and Advocacy Empowerment Foundation, Engineer Jamiu Badmos; emphasised the importance of effective stress management in any work place. He explained that stress arises when your demand exceeds resources.

 

Badmos warned that stress could affect the behavioural, physiological, emotional and cognitive aspects of human lives and should be effectively managed.

 

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Promasidor, Mr. Olivier Thiry, assured the audience that the company would not relent in ensuring it operates in an hazard-free environment. He acknowledged that safety is a joint responsibility of employer and employees; assuring that the management will always provide necessary support and PPEs for this.