Lagos State government through the Lagos Safety Commission has ordered a comprehensive safety audit of dredging sites across the state to curb rising health hazards and risks associated with dredging activities.
The director general, Safety Commission , Mr. Lanre Mojola who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos said the commission has commenced a comprehensive training for dredging operators.
Mojola, who urged stakeholders in the sector to make safety a priority in all dredging and sand haulage operations added that the training, held at the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state with the theme: “Navigating Safety in Dredging: Building Lagos on Solid Ground,.” was declared mandatory for dredgers operating within the state.
The Safety commission boss represented by the Head, Safety Audit II, Engineer Festus Todowede at the One-Day training programme for dredgers and sand haulage operators stressed the importance of strict compliance with safety regulations and standards at dredging sites.
He stated that dredging is a high risk operation involving heavy equipment deployed in challenging environments to extract and pump sand for construction purposes.
According to him, such activities, when not properly managed, can expose workers, members of the public, equipment and the environment to various health hazards.
He disclosed that the Commission regularly receives incident reports from workers and members of the public concerning dredging and sand mining activities across the state.
Mojola, in response to these concerns, directed that a comprehensive safety audit of dredging sites across Lagos State should be conducted.
He declared that the dredging safety training was one of the recommendations arising from the safety audit, with the objective of improving safety awareness and reducing incidents associated with dredging and sand haulage operations.
He implored all stakeholders in dredging and sand hauling to adopt stronger safety precautionary measures in their operations to prevent incidence with the ultimate goal of ensuring workers return home safely at the end of each workday.
Also speaking during the programme, a Consultant on Dredging Operations, Comrade Adejuyigbe Oluwaseyi,advised dredging companies, operators, supervisors and workers to take safety seriously and make it part of their daily operations rather than something considered only during inspections or enforcement exercises.
He said operators should identify potential hazards, assess the risks involved and put appropriate control measures in place before commencing any operation.
He emphasised the need for workers to receive proper training and regular use of required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Adejuyigbe further cautioned operators against unsafe acts and conditions, stressing that any operation considered unsafe should be stopped until the identified risks are properly addressed.
He encouraged the reporting and investigation of incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions to prevent their recurrence.
He noted safety remains a collective responsibility, requiring the commitment of management, supervisors, operators and workers.
He maintained that no production target, financial consideration or operational deadline should take priority over human life.
He highlighted the risks associated with various aspects of dredging and sand haulage operations and urged participants to comply fully with applicable safety regulations and standards.
