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SAFETY IN THE BUSINESS - HOPE Vs. EXPERIENCE


Business safety issues in Nigeria are largely left to hope rather than experience.
Cataclysmal occurrences elsewhere are ascribed to ill luck, home trouble, which can be left with the pastor or marabout to sort out while you get on with the business of "making money". Sad road to take. Mind you, the choice is yours. Besides, the power to choose is one of the most powerful tools God gifted us with so there's no call for regret when it all falls down and your business is wiped out with employees killed or maimed and you're left with massive restitution bills, compensation claims, hiked insurance premiums and general re-start headaches; and a permanently damaged business reputation.
 
Mind you, people will cotton on faster if we had a clear cut policy and practice of enforcement of health and safety regulations in this country. Things would work better, boundaries and limitations would be more apparent and consequences will be obvious. But not here. It's free-for-all practice which in turn promotes quackery and unprofessionalism. The country and people are short-changed, accidents become prevalent and business and economy suffer irretrievably.

Bear in mind that accident costs are like an iceberg below. Only about 10% of the total is immediately obvious to the individual, company or community. The real deal is the 90% hidden from sight in expenditure like medical bills, absenteeism and absent pay, compensation to the victim, increase insurance premium, retraining/training, repair and replacement, new hires, induction, systems and process change, reputation damage repair campaigns, statutory citation costs, investigation activities, down time, lost production, etc.

Yet we holler blue murder, never again and similar fatuous statements when the next structure collapses or 50+ travelers are roasted on the road, a huge inferno lays a multi-billion modern market to ruin, or an unsecured container falls off a low bed trailer and flattens an unfortunate young family travelling alongside, etc.

It's been said elsewhere severally and repeatedly that God especially loves Nigeria - I'm not about to argue with that. For where else on this planet would you find a place where safety is left to hope than experience?
Stay safe. It is your only hope

Only about 10% of any accident cost is visible, the remaining 90% is hidden.




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