By Editor

 

 

 

 

The Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) on Friday inducted one hundred and five new members and upgraded ten existing ones to enhance health, safety and environment in workplaces.

 

 

 

The President of ISPON, Dr. Stephen Udezi in his charge to the new inductees, said that they should be active in the activities of the Institute.

 

 

 

Udezi also warned organisations against assigning safety responsibilities to unqualified safety professionals, stressing that there are penalties for such actions.

 

 

 

 

According to him, individuals who engage in such unethical and unprofessional activities will pay a fine of N100,000 or serve a jail term of six months or both.

 

 

 

 

He also noted that an employer who accommodated the individual who is not a member of the Institute, would pay a minimum of N500,000 or six months jail term or both

 

 

 

 

 

“I am not asking the National Assembly to come and help us do any enforcement. The National Assembly are the ones that already took the act and drove it for us to the extent that it was signed,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

ISPON Lagos chairman, Mr Olusola Ogunleye, said the induction was a way of empowering emerging professionals who have undergone series rigorous  trainings to enable them practice under specific professional laws of safety. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Ogunleye after the training, the new members are fully ready to show their capacity and expertise, bringing to bear their wealth of training and experience to transform workplaces in Nigeria in terms of health, safety, and environment.

 

 

 

 

He said that the training centered on evolving trends and technologies in the the health, safety and environment ecosystem.

 

 

 

 

 

“We will not be a safety professional and use yesterday’s knowledge. They must remain current.

 

 

 

 

“They must remain ahead of information and they must be abreast of new brands and information. They must respect information,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ogunleye explained that ISPON was already collaborating with the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) to ensure that all their members are registered.

 

 

 

 

He said with the collaboration, some of the bottlenecks experienced by these members that made them unable to register have been minimised.

 

 

 

 

According to him, ISPON is ensuring that member complete their trainings and certifications, while digitalising the process for easy registration and warned against quackery in the system.

 

 

 

 

 

On his part, Mr Seun Agunjobi, Technical Advisor at the Lagos State Safety Commission urged the inductees change the safety narrative of Nigeria.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the inductees, Mr Joseph Esekhaigbe, a Fire Safety Professional and an Assistant Fire Officer at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, expressing his excitement said that the induction would further enhance his duties as a safety professional.

 

 

 

 

 

A seasoned firefighter, Joseph has consistently demonstrated competence in emergency operations, safety enforcement, and hazard control across diverse environments. 

 

 

 

 

He, therefore, promised to uphold the tenents of the profession, adding that the trainings would also shape his response to safety emergencies and to avert such.

 

 

 

 

The event had in attendance, safety professionals from across industries.