‘How safety in workplace boosts productivity’
PUTTING in place a dynamic occupational safety tools boosts productivity of the workforce, as employee safety should be paramount regardless of position or qualification, safety experts have said.
Executive Director, National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP), USA, Eric Gislason, said: “You have to show value that the safety of your employees is of utmost importance not only for ethical reasons but for your return on investments.
“You do better as a company when you keep your employees safe, there is proven documentation that shows that a safe workplace will give better productivity, better employee, increased morale, better quality and that is what we need to implement worldwide.”
Speaking on safety in Nigerian workplaces, Gislason, who was the facilitator at the training, said while the workplaces have quite an impressive level of occupational safety methods, more can be done to become more advanced, especially in policy reformation, adding that safety reforms are not just a Nigerian problem, but also prevalent in the United States.
Chief Executive Officer, Swiss Register Limited, Kwode Festus, said: “We have an objective to ensure that every Nigerian understands his right in terms of safety in the workplace what we are looking at is occupational health and safety, which is very important, the country does not have the necessary regulations to support safety in the workplace.”
Speaking at the end of a five-day safety-training programme in Lagos, and proffering solutions on improving occupational safety in the country, he advised that there is a need to establish a national framework and regulatory policy for workplaces, which should be strictly adhered to. He explained: “We need to have the peer review with other countries on safety and also attend conferences because without the knowledge, we cannot do anything.”
Speaking on the training, Kwode, who had been certified by the NASP abroad, said he decided to replicate the knowledge and certificate locally for other professionals and companies to benefit from in partnership with the international organisation.
He said presently Swiss Registers is the only West African partner of the NASP.
He said besides becoming certified safety managers, the participants after the training can also facilitate training for other people at a lower cost, which he said, presently costs $2,900.
Kwode said the aim is to incorporate the training into academic institutions, and reduce the fee to a more affordable amount for individuals. This, he said, can be achieved by working with necessary regulatory bodies and organisations He added that the training is not just for factory workers, but also for those in corporate environment adding that the training, which is a total of five days, had 20 participants from various companies and industries working with 32 modules after which they will be examined on.
The participants after the training will receive a certified safety manager certificate issued by the NASP, as well a licence to train other people on safety measures.
He also said the certificate aside from the knowledge gained, will be useful for the participants for various purposes, including academic credits from Colombia Southern University as well as a postnominal designation.