Don Calls On Employers Of Labor To Prioritize Safety and Security Of Employees At Work Place.

Akaiso Akaiso, Uyo.

Given the fact that most of the occupational accidents occurring at workplaces are due to none adherence to basic principles of safety and security, the director of the Institute of Health, Safety, Security and Environment Studies (IHSSES), University of Uyo, Professor Comfort Etok has called on employers of labour to make safety and security of their employees a top priority.

“When employees feel safe and secure in their work environment, their morale and motivation increase.
” Knowing that their well being is a priority, employees are more likely to be engaged, productive and more committed to their work. A positive safety culture promotes a sense of trust, loyalty and job satisfaction among employees,” she emphasized.

Prof. Etok whose call set the tone on occupational safety at the opening of the one day Safety and security workshop at the main campus of the University of Uyo, opined that work place Safety is not only a moral obligation but a legal requirement, reminding employers of labour that governments and regulatory bodies have put in place laws and standards to protect workers’ rights to enforce safe working conditions.
“Adhering to these regulations not only ensures legal compliance but also demonstrates an organization’s commitment to ethical practices.”

The University Don also urged the Ministry of Education at the federal and state levels to restructure secondary and tertiary schools syllabi with emphasis on safety and security education, calling on everybody to support the institute’s project as safety and security is a concern of all.

Briefing the gathering on the academic activities of the institute which is rated first among the only three of its kind in universities in Nigeria, Prof. Etok herself a prolific writer who has authored and co-authored several books, listed out on the list of those to thank for their support and encouragement.

They include, first the Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, others and Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON, particularly for the recent legislation resulting in a circular mandating all schools in Nigeria to relocate their creche and nursery classes to the ground floor of high rise building, to reduce the danger and carnage associated with possible eventualities.

She announced that about three million workers die yearly all over the world from occupational accidents and diseases while a whopping four hundred and two million people suffer from a non fatal occupational injuries every year.

The vice chancellor of university of Uyo, Prof. Ndaeyo, in his brief opening remarks, described safety and security in right approach and perspectives as capable of enhancing conducive environment for effective learning and production, and commended the director of the institute for organizing the workshop for the training and development of safety and security personnel to help combat the increasing surge of insecurity in the society.

Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Anthonia Essien, the Vice Chancellor who described the theme of the training workshop “Entrenching safety and security cultures in the university and its environ” as very apt, believed the outcome of the workshop will assist in preferring solutions to the current precarious security and safety challenges facing our universities/schools, state and the country at large.

Special features of the event were the inauguration of safety Ambassadors and Marshalls as foot soldiers of the institute to help spread the gospel of security and safety both within and outside the university. And also presentation of awards to distinguished personalities for their support and also to encourage them to do more. They included Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, HE Dr. Usra Hendra Harahap, Prof. Ndaeyo and others.