By Chris Onuoha

Nigerians has been advised, especially motorist to observe safety consciousness during this yuletide season, to avoid loss of life, while pointing at deplorable state of the roads, over speeding as some of the causes of accidents on the road.

Country Director, International Labour Organisation (ILO) for ECOWAS, Dr. Dennis Zulu, represented by Dr. Pius Udo disclosed these during a health and safety social dialogue conference organised by, International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) in collaboration with ILO under the theme; ‘Managing Priority Health and Safety issues in the Road Transport Sector in Nigeria’.

LASTMA REP, ILO Rep (Pius Udo) & IIRSM Nigeria Chairman, Dr. Eugene Itua

Dr. Zulu, while acknowledging IIRSM’s initiative to sensitize transporters in the country reiterated that motorist in particular should avoid over speeding, saying avoidable occupational accidents and health hazards can be controlled by keeping safety rules be it on road or in workplace.

In the same vein, IIRSM Nigeria, Chairman, Dr. Eugene Itua, while advising road users to keep sane mind on the road said; “We find it timely to prioritize safety and health hazard issues in the maiden edition of our social dialogue programme especially at this stream of time called ‘Ember months.’ Our roads are bad, no doubt, and many persons, organisations will be on the move to celebrate the yuletide season with loved ones and other engagements.

“In order to reduce those challenges we collaborated with International Labour Organisation (ILO), Safety Professionals and general public to create adequate safety awareness and health hazards on our roads. Interestingly it is going to be a quarterly programme at which we focus on occupation health, safety hazards and best practices in workplace”. Dr. Itua said.

During the public discuss that attracted Lagos State Safety Commission boss, Mr. Hakeem Dickson, LATSMA officials, Safety experts and general public, observations such as risk of road accidents, physical hazards, stress, violence, dangerous operational situations and exposure to harmful substances were made as baseline which have become major concerns on Nigerian roads. Recommendations was equally proffered as way forward for managing health and safety issues in the road transport sector in Nigeria.