By LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

The Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Ltd (SAHCOL), Alh. Oluropo Owolabi, has urged  employers in the aviation industry to make their workplace safe for their employees by safeguarding their health.

This was also corroborated by the Manager of Safety and Quality Department of Aero Contractors Airlines, Mr. Victor Dauda who said that for safety to be in all aspects of aviation business, airline operators must co-operate  in sharing vital information to enhance safety of their passengers as well as its workers.

Alhaji Owolabi made this disclosure at the closing ceremony of the company’s Safety Week at Ikeja.

He said that employers should be highly committed to a safe work environment, which would go a long way to boost employees’ moral and increase effectiveness.”We believe that safety is a management function; we have a responsibility to make the workplace safer for our employees and thus safeguarding their health. This ensures that an employee can feel secure about undertaking his routine tasks with complete determination and confidence.”

He noted that most Nigerian organisations  overlook the fact that safety is vital in the work environment, urging them to imbibe a safety culture. He advised employers to put in place a well trained and supported Safety Department in their organisations.

The National President of the Association of Foreign Airlines in Nigeria (AFAN) also noted that safety begins with an organisation management.

He said that the aviation industry was like the medical sector which safety and health were made supreme and mistakes were avoided at its minimal level. ”We have to put ourselves together to get it right and remind ourselves if they are not doing right in the workplace concerning safety and security. We must be safety-conscious in everything we do, including on the ramp and how we handle our machinery,” he said.

He urged business organisations to apply the right solutions to safety.