The Lagos State government has urged market men and women at Balogun and other markets in the state to be safety conscious as the yuletide approaches.
The government made the call during a joint sensitisation and awareness creation by the Lagos State Safety Commission and Lagos Fire and Rescue Services, at the Balogun Market, Lagos Island, on how to prevent fireoutbreaks.
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Lanre Mojola, the director-general of the Lagos State Safety Commission, took traders at the market through precautionary measures to avert fire outbreaks such as removal of combustible materials like paper, rubber and wood, leaving electrical iron and kettle unattended, keeping flammable materials in homes, refueling petrol generators while working, overloading electrical circuits and using camp gas or cylinder indoor among others.
Mojola admonished the traders to always raise the alarm whenever they notice fire, vacate the building to the nearest available exit and call Lagos State Emergency toll-free lines on 767 or 112 among others.
According to him, “There is a need for ‘our market men and women to be fire safety conscious. He advised the general public to take precautionary measures to prevent fire outbreaks this yuletide season.
Adeseye Margaret Abimbola, the director of Lagos Fire and Rescue Services, corroborated Mojola, the safety commission DG.
The fire service director, who was represented by Abiola Alelamole, advised the market men and women to always prevent fire at their markets by not overloading electrical sockets and desist from storage of petrol in their markets and as a matter of importance avoid anything that could cause an electrical spark in their markets.
She hinted that the sensitisation would take them to about 20 markets in the state, stressing, however, that fire safety was everyone’s responsibility.
Fire officials at the sensitisation prevent demonstrated practical ways of fighting and prevention and elementary firefighting.
The director said that the tips given to the market men and women were imperative to prevent fire disasters and to imbibe safety consciousness during the forthcoming yuletide season in markets and other places of public interest.
She said, “We are here to converse for the economic development of the state. We don’t want incessant fire outbreaks in our markets anymore and we know that all these incessant fire outbreaks are a result of people’s negligence and carelessness.
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“Our people should be careful in handling fire because any mishandling can lead to disaster, all electrical appliances should be put off before locking up the shops for the day.”
She also called for cooperation among the market operators and fire service to achieve a zero-fire outbreak incident in Lagos State.
