Lagos State Government, yesterday, implored chemical handlers to be safety conscious by complying with rules on safety, saying that 98 per cent of accidents and disasters that occurred are due to human errors.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, at the chemical handlers stakeholders’ workshop, organised by Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said that the state government remains committed to supporting chemical handlers with the right policies to promote safety in their workplaces, as improper handling of chemicals poses serious risk to human health, environment and public safety.

Rotimi-Akodu, who was represented by Monsurat Banire, said: “We all know that chemicals are essential to our industries, agriculture, healthcare and daily living. However, improper handling of chemicals poses serious risk to human health, the environment and public safety. That is why this workshop is timely.

“It provides an opportunity to update your knowledge, share best practices and remind ourselves of our responsibilities as handlers. On behalf of the government, I urge you to take this training seriously and to strictly adhere to LASEPA‘s rules and regulations on chemical storage and others.

Similarly, in his address, General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, stated that the bedrock of life is chemical, saying: “Everything we do has some elements of chemistry, including food. So, we cannot do without chemicals.”

Ajayi, therefore, told chemical handlers that their sector is one of the biggest priorities of LASEPA.

A safety expert, Adeyinka Adebiyi, who spoke on occupational safety and best practices in chemical warehousing, told the participants that if they failed to follow the rules around safety, an accident will occur and most accidents are preventable because only two per cent of accidents can be attributed to the act of God.

He added that some of the natural disasters are stimulated by not complying with safety rules.

In his presentation, Executive Director of BCCC Africa, Nigeria, Prof. Gilbert Adie, underscored the importance of labelling to prevent accidents.