Tunde Bakare
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has restated its determination to increase its safety measures by maintaining safe and healthy working environment that would further protect staff, Corps Members, visitors, and government properties.
It said the Scheme would continue to identify occupational hazards, assess risks, prevent workplace injuries and illness, protect the environment, and comply with relevant safety standards.
The Director General (DG) of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu stated this in his address at the maiden edition of the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers Workshop, held in Abuja.
He said the workshop theme; “Preventing Workplace Hazards and Creating a Safe Environment in All NYSC Formations”, underscores the importance of workplace safety, occupational health and environmental sustainability to effective administration and effective service delivery.
Speaking through the Director, Human Resource Management, Mr. Nura Umar, General Nafiu added that all NYSC formations should prioritise regular workplace inspections, risk assessments, proper maintenance of safety equipment, fire drills, first-aid preparedness and emergency response procedures.
“We must therefore move beyond reacting to incidents and embrace a proactive safety culture’, he said.
The Director General tasked the workshop participants to translate the knowledge acquired to identify hazards and assess risks, promote continuous safety awareness and set clear action plan and renewed commitment that would make every NYSC formation safer and healthier.
The Director, General Services Department, Mrs. Yetunde Baderinwa, said the workshop signalled an important step towards establishing a coordinated and sustainable approach to occupational health, safety and environmental management throughout NYSC formations.
She stated further that the safety of all NYSC officials, visitors, service providers and other stakeholders must remain a collective responsibility.
Participants at the workshop include all Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers from the 36 NYSC State Secretariats and the FCT.