Experts harp on occupational safety at ASSP conference

Experts in the safety and health sector have reeled out steps, solutions and suggestions on how safety should be upheld in the workplace and the environment in Nigeria.

Speaking during the recently held American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Nigeria Chapter Professionals Development Conference & Exhibition, Lanre Mojola, the director general of Lagos State Safety Commission said it was important to know the difference between safety and security as they are being confused by majority of Nigerians.

Mojola said what safety means to the average man in Europe and U.S. is different from what safety means to an average Nigerian.

“When we go out, we carry out sensitisation and advocacy sessions. We talk to people on the streets about the importance of safety. We talk to the drivers, and market women and they don’t understand what safety is.

“Every time they confuse safety with security. They also confuse safety with food security. Safety for them, means they have not eaten, safety for them means they don’t have a roof over their heads.

“So, for us, we have decided to bring safety to the grassroots so people can understand what safety means. Safety is the protection of lives and preservation of lives that can reduce accidents, diseases and the like,” he said.

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Mojola said Lagos State was very privileged to have the first-of-its-kind safety commission in the country.

He explained that what this means is that Lagos is roughly 10 years ahead of many states.

“Being the regulator for occupational safety and health, we have to work our journey, talk through and chart our way forward. We have not really had any case study aside from looking at International best practices. We have realised that there is a need for us to look at our own practices and see how we can provide local solutions for local problems,” Mojola said.

Ogechukwu Ukandu, president of, the ASSP Nigeria Chapter said safety is very important to society.

Ukandu said safety cuts across every other aspect of life. “Before you talk about any other thing, you must talk about safety because safety starts with you and I. Nigerians don’t understand the meaning of safety. We need to drive safely down to the grass root,” he said.

At the forum, the American Society of Safety Professionals, the Nigerian Chapter sensitised Nigerians to safety precautions.

The ASSP Nigeria Chapter Professionals Development Conference & Exhibition which kicked off last week with various enlightening presentations from professionals from diverse fields was rounded off with ASSP Nigeria Chapter recognition award.