The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has pledged to strengthen workplace safety measures across its formations nationwide to prevent occupational hazards, injuries and illnesses while protecting staff, Corps Members, visitors and government property.
The Director-General of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, gave the assurance at the maiden Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers Workshop held in Abuja.
Nafiu, who spoke through the Director of Human Resource Management, Mr Nura Umar, said the NYSC would intensify efforts to identify occupational hazards, assess risks, protect the environment and ensure compliance with relevant safety standards.
The workshop, themed “Preventing Workplace Hazards and Creating a Safe Environment in All NYSC Formations,” highlighted the importance of occupational health, workplace safety and environmental sustainability in effective administration and service delivery.
The Director-General urged all NYSC formations to prioritise regular workplace inspections, risk assessments, proper maintenance of safety equipment, fire drills, first aid preparedness and effective emergency response procedures.
“We must therefore move beyond reacting to incidents and embrace a proactive safety culture,” he said.
He charged participants to apply the knowledge gained at the workshop to identify workplace hazards, assess risks, promote continuous safety awareness and develop clear action plans to ensure safer and healthier working environments across the Scheme.
Also speaking, the Director of the General Services Department, Mrs Yetunde Baderinwa, described the workshop as an important step towards establishing a coordinated and sustainable approach to occupational health, safety and environmental management across NYSC formations.
She stressed that safeguarding the lives and well being of NYSC officials, visitors, service providers and other stakeholders must be treated as a collective responsibility.
Participants at the workshop comprised Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers from the 36 NYSC state secretariats and the Federal Capital Territory.
