The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) through the Ministry of Steel Development has urged metal/steel sector workers to prioritise safety in carrying their operations for healthy production, a statement signed by Tine-Iulun M. A. for the head of Press and Public Relations unit in the ministry and issued on Wednesday disclosed.
With the aim of sensitising workers in the iron and steel industry against work place hazards to prevent and reduce work-related injuries, illnesses, etc., the ministry through the Metallurgical Inspectorate & Raw Materials Development (MI&RMD) Department organised a safety workshop for steel producers, fabricators, and other metal industry workers.
Declaring the workshop open on Wednesday in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Mary Ogbe, said the Workshop which is first in the series of engagements with industry operators following the creation of the Ministry of Steel Development is aimed at promoting safety awareness and compliance with safety guidelines in the metal sector of the country.
She noted that the theme “Industrial Health and Safety Concerns in the Steel and Other Metals Sector in Nigeria’’ is apt as it is in tandem with the ministry’s mandate – to ensure optimum safety and zero harm in the metals sector.
Emphasing the importance of the steel and metal industry for industrialization and development of any nation, Dr Ogbe who was represented by the Director Human Resources Management of the Ministry, Mohammed Suleiman Kabir, said without being safe and in good health while operating in the metals and Steel sector, the enormous prospects in the sector would not be achieved.
She stressed that “safety is an essential aspect of our daily lives, whether at work, at school, or in our homes” and enjoined all to imbibe the critical principle of “Safety First, Safety Always”.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Ibrahim Yusufu Idris, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Environmental Assessment Department, Shittu Hussain, in his goodwill message
urged all operators to keep to the safety guidelines and be always uphold safe practice in the sector to achieve the much desired safe working environment for the country.
In his remarks, the DG/CEO, National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, NSRMEA, Kaduna, Kolawole Ogunbiyi, said the workshop couldn’t have come at a better time than now that efforts by the federal government to revamp the steel sector are underway.
President, Manufacturer Association of Nigeria, MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, represented by Lekan Edunjobi, who also described the theme of the workshop as apt, said it is imperative to prioritise the wellbeing of the workforce and prevent hazards.
Earlier, the Director, Metallurgical Inspectorate and Raw Materials Development (MI&RMD) Department, Engr Frederick Ewa, said to achieve the presidential mandate in the steel sector, safe working procedures must be guaranteed.
He implored employers in the steel and metals industry to make the health and safety of their employees top priority , adding that an unsafe act could result in accidents that could cause both human, economic and social losses.
Engr Ewa noted that the industry requires safe working measures as workers face many risks on the job, adding that the goal of the Workshop was to ensure that every type of operation and process in the metal industry is made accident-free.
