Managing health, safety and environmental risks

Risks abound everywhere – offices, homes, schools, factories, hospitals, prisons, markets, cinema houses, hotels, shopping malls, recreation parks, religious centres, etc. In the same vein, we can never run away from health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks. The more you run, the more it runs after you like a shadow.

The popular saying about “Health is Wealth” may never be really appreciated unless you have some health challenges. It becomes a thing of concern when health issues are attributable to causes that basic preventative safety precautions could have averted. As trivial as it sounds Health, Safety and Environmental considerations could help organisations, businesses and individuals save money and more importantly save lives. Hardly do we spend a week in all major cities in Nigeria without experiencing major fire outbreaks in homes, offices, markets, etc. 

The proliferation of electricity generating sets in all nooks and crannies of the country is very alarming. The noise pollution is not as disturbing as the environmental pollution from the smoke exhaust. A lot of families have lost their lives simply because of the direct carbon monoxide inhaled from these generating sets. Unfortunately, things are not improving as generating –set usage is on the increase. In fact, some families have 2 or 3 generating sets, where one is the primary set; others will be used as backup  

The Lagos State Fire Service recorded 193 fire outbreaks from December 2013 to 7 January 2014 (i.e. within 5 weeks).  This statistic- is a pointer to the fact that the rate of fire outbreaks in Lagos is high. Lagos is not alone in this, most cities and other localities in Nigeria have equally high rates of fire outbreak. Sadly, when these fire outbreaks occur, it is either there is no fire alarm to alert people before it becomes a disaster or the alarm was not properly serviced, there may not be smoke detectors not to talk of fire extinguishers, no access to fire station telephone numbers (this has been improved with the introduction of emergency numbers by some state governments), there are instances of inadequate resources for fire fighters e.g. water, fuel for their fire engines, paramedics, etc. The absence of paramedic teams with the fire fighter teams is also worrisome as a lot of attention is paid to quenching the fire while casualties of smoke inhalation need basic CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) to ensure proper flow of oxygenated blood to their internal organs. Recently in some parts of the country, some casualties of a fire outbreak came out of their building unhurt but died hours later as a result of the smoke inhaled from the fire. 

The problem of fire outbreak can be reduced significantly by basic preventive precautions such as HSE awareness through regular education, performance of fire drills to create an alert mind for people in a building (homes, offices, and factories), installation and periodic maintenance of smoke detectors, fire alarms and extinguishers. Companies in the oil and gas industry/sector are noted for paying very strong attention to HSE risks and this should be emulated by other organisations as the worth of human life cannot be measured in monetary terms. 

Businesses spend lots of money building disaster recovery sites to restore business operations in the event of a disaster affecting their primary processing sites but they pay less attention to basic safety principles such as fire prevention techniques, servicing and maintenance of environmental protection equipment (fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, humidity sensors, water sprinklers), emergency response and preparedness, anti-slippery rest rooms, HSE awareness training, etc. 

HSE conscious corporate establishments implement safety measures and equipment in their offices but most of their staff do not carry this consciousness into their homes where their families spend a lot of time. Consequently, the impact of fire incidence is higher in homes than in offices because fewer provisions are made in homes to prevent or detect the disaster before it strikes.  Individuals, Organisations and Government have major roles to play in the cultivation of a good HSE culture.  Individuals must be ready to learn and implement the safety precautions that are essential to protect their households and work places. For instance, at homes, sharp objects or medications must never be left within the reach of young children, while there should be anti-slip in the bathrooms, wet floors should be cleaned immediately, basic fire prevention and suppression equipment should be in place, etc. 

Organisations need to carefully think through the key HSE risks that their people and assets are exposed to and determine appropriate measures that need to be   in place. HSE champions should also be nominated in companies to act as vanguards for implementing HSE policies and procedures. Organisations, as part of their quality management processes, should also subject themselves to periodic HSE audits preferably by independent third parties. This is important to ensure that gaps identified from the audits are addressed; this will enable the organisation achieve a “safer” environment. 

Interestingly, the Bankers Committee and the Central Bank of Nigeria, through the on-going implementation of “Sustainable Banking Principles”, have clearly identified policies and operational practices that should be implemented by financial institutions to make them socially and environmentally responsible. This initiative has very strong HSE content. In addition, recent CBN mandates for IT Standards in Financial Institutions require these institutions to comply with OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Specification) standards between 2016 and 2017. This is a welcome development.

Building regulators should also set standards that must be complied with prior to issuance of building permits which should be renewable after certain periods. The standards should specify minimum health and safety requirements that must be complied with. Appropriate sanctions should also be enforced for non-compliance to these building codes. The Nigerian Orientation Agency and other relevant agencies of the government should also use radio and television stations as avenues for HSE education.    This should serve as reminders to the populace on their responsibilities for ensuring a safer society. Some of the messages that should be shared include the avoidance of illegal electricity connections ; switching off electrical appliances when leaving offices, markets, homes ; usage of smart components that will automatically shut down power supply to electrical appliances in our markets during close of business and in homes when nobody is around, etc.

A lot of collaboration is required even at residents’ association meetings to enlighten members about HSE hazards. As we do this, we not only help our neighbours’, we are also helping ourselves because HSE risks are contagious. A fire outbreak in a neighbour’s apartment or office may not spare your own building.

We should always note that if health is generally agreed to be wealth in proverbial terms, then life must be more valuable than any collection of financial or material wealth which we often chase sometimes at the expense of safety.

SAHEED BASHIRU