WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 2017
A recent statistics of work-related deaths by the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) indicates that one worker dies every 15 seconds
worldwide, 6,300 people die every day as a result of occupational accidents or
work-related diseases and this amounts to more than 2.3 million deaths per
year. The report further observed that about 317 million accidents occur on the
job annually; many of these resulting to permanent disabilities. This obviously
shows that annually, more people seem to die at work than at wars.
Although the statistics is undoubtedly worrisome but the most
unfortunate dimension to the problem is that, with the prevailing economic
recession and rising poverty level, the dangers might be aggravated.
That is why, the ILO’s theme for the 2017 World Day for Safety and
Health at Work is “OPTIMIZE THE COLLECTION AND USE OF OSH DATA” aimed to draw
attention to the critical need for countries to improve their capacity to
collect and utilize reliable occupational safety and health (OSH) data.
According to the ILO, a national occupational safety and health
culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is
respected at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively
participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system
of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and where the highest priority is
accorded to the principle of prevention.
Looking at the ILO’s standard viz a viz what obtains in Nigeria,
analysts say the work environment in Nigeria is increasingly getting precarious
for millions of workers in different sectors of the economy as they are daily
exposed to worsening health and safety situations with increased cases of
deaths and injuries at work. With unemployment rate of about 25percent, underemployment
rate of 19.7percent and about 67.1 per cent of the population living below the
poverty level, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the
average Nigerian employee while seeking a job is more concerned about securing
a means of livelihood than the health and safety aspect of the job.
Majority of the employees in Nigeria are actually enduring their
job instead of enjoying it. The kind of stress that most people go through
every day is unimaginable, just to keep their job. We have people that live as
far as Sagamu in Ogun state and every day they go to work at Ikeja or Lagos
Island. They are always under constant stress, both while going, in the office
and while returning back home.
Recently I met a man who had retired about 3years ago after
putting in 30 years on his job. The man told me that within this 30years, he
normally wakes up latest four o’clock and normally goes to bed around 12midnight.
For the past 30years, he barely slept for 4hours, every day and the problem now
is that, his body seems to have adapted to it because, even now that he is
already retired he still wakes up and sleeps almost the same time.
This is just one angle to the problem. So many today are not
maintaining a healthy diet simply because of their job. Most times they take
their breakfast in the office and may be compelled to eat what is available and
not really what they want.
If I may ask, what is the essence of spending your entire life
suffering under an unfavorable and hazardous job condition and thereafter waste
all the little money you had saved from the job trying to get back your health?
As we join other nations to mark the world day for safety and
health at work, I need to remind you that it is your duty to decide on the best
safety and healthy working condition that is ideal for you. You are not a slave
to your employer and that is why you should not allow anybody to compel you to
accept a job that is not safe or suitable for your health.
What you need is information because, there are several
alternative opportunities that you could be doing on a part-time basis and be
earning almost the same income or higher than you are earning from your present
job. At least there is nothing like waking up each day with peace of mind;
without worries of being queried for coming late to work. You can afford to have
a good time with your creator through morning devotion, take your time to
prepare a good diet for breakfast, and go out with peace of mind.
Perhaps your present job is adversely affecting your health but
you cannot afford to drop it for now because you do not have an alternative
source of income. Or maybe you are tired of working on a paid employment and
wish to have your own personal business; you do not need to keep worrying again
because today in Nigeria, there are several simple and flexible opportunities
through which you can transit seamlessly from a paid employee to an employer.
Listen, there is no problem that anybody has today that another
fellow does not have the solution to. That is why my favourite book says, "Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
By God’s grace we have helped hundreds of people take back their
lives and be in control of their health and finances through some of these
opportunities. If I were you, there is no need to continue procrastinating
because most of the ergonomic problems associated with jobs most times do not
start manifesting while you are still on the job but in your later years.
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