Safety Standards: Promasidor’s Winning Strategy to Capture Market 

With the Nigerian manufacturing sector losing about $2.8 trillion annually, as a result of occupational accidents and diseases, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), experts have said there was an urgent need to address the situation to secure the prospects of the sector.
No doubt, the manufacturing sector has not appeared too attractive in recent times, the indication from the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which stood below 50 points between January and November in 2016, further points to this fact.

The PMI is an indicator of the economic health of the manufacturing sector which is determined by five major indicators, viz. new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries, and the employment environment.
Amidst other factors, the unattractive state of industries in the country has been attributed to the scarcity of foreign exchange, high interest rate, epileptic power and negative attitude to work place safety and environmental factors.
While there have been attempts from all corners to address some of these issues,  not much attention has been paid to enforcement of safety standards and risk management which, aside from monetary loss, costs the sector a total number of 6000 deaths daily arising  from work-related accidents.

The Labour, Safety, Health and Welfare  Bill of 2012 makes comprehensive provision for securing the safety, health and welfare of persons at work, protects others against risks to safety and health in connection with the activities of persons at work, as well as established the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health and Other Related Matters.
Despite this in place, the compliance level of operators is still in question, almost rendering the scheme dysfunctional and impeding OSH development.
Confirming this trend, South African Financial Analyst, Joel Chimhanda, submitted that growth and development in Nigerian industries can only be secured through operational risk management.

According to him, Nigeria and, indeed, Africa were still behind developed and advanced economies because they continued to reinvest in disaster, which has slowed down development in the region.
“In Nigeria, for instance, we have heard of explosions in power plants; uncontained market fires that bring investments and livelihoods to zero because of inadequate response frameworks; massive building collapse resulting in huge capital losses; road structures with no inbuilt utility service; excessive risk transfer to insurance, thus zero bcp; law enforcement agents that do not know they are first responders or even know how they integrate in any security framework. All these can be prevented.”

As part of its efforts to address risk governance deficit, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) put forward the ‘Best Kept Industrial Premises Award’, also known as ‘Total Compliance Inspection Competition’, to promote best practices towards enabling and maintaining clean and safe work environments in industries.
The award, which holds annually, is open to manufacturing companies, including food and beverage manufacturers in the large, medium and small scale categories.  Companies like Boulus Food and Beverages, Lucky fibres and Neimeth have been honoured on this platform to further motivate and boost their compliance level to regulatory safety standards which in turn translate into economic benefits.
This year, food and beverage giant, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, PNL, clinched the award that gives special recognition to compliance and high standards in the area of health and safety after  being assessed and proven certified in the following areas:  external and internal premises, utilities, solid waste management, effluent treatment plant, pollution control facilities, personal protective equipment, green-life and general aesthetics, government certifications and general housekeeping.

Other criteria considered included usage of marked pedestrian walk-way, noise control, environmental audit report and fire certification.
In conducting the exercise, MAN carried along professionals from Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and Health, Safety and environment (HSE) to shore up the credibility of the process.
Reacting to this milestone achievement, Head of Legal and Public Relations at PNL, Mr. Andrew Enahoro stated that  the company’s commitment to healthy environment and safety is part of its business strategy as it was essential for businesses to adhere to environmental and safety laws  and be associated with the positive story of their host communities.

This attitude, he maintained, was a major factor in the company’s success story and its major breakthroughs in the market.
Explaining the company’s approach to security, Enaharo said, “In the pursuit of a greener environment, the company invested heavily in eco-friendly equipment which goes a long way in reducing health risks among the staff and the neigbourhood.
“Promasidor also generates its electricity from industrial gas. This, to a large extent, has helped to reduce noise pollution and hazards caused by diesel exhaust and accompanying health issues like irritation of the eyes and nose, headache, nausea, respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
“Our power initiative is in tandem with what is widely practised in developed economies where private organisations generate a certain percentage of power required for their operations, while our security lights run on solar energy.”
Continuing, he said, “The company also relies on waste sorting and on a less hazardous waste management method, where we separate waste into different elements so as to avoid air pollution and  maintain good health standards in our host community.

“The adoption of wind-powered extractor fans and eco-friendly air conditioners has helped to reduce noise and other environmental hazards that would have emanated from conventional equipment.”
Concluding, he affirmed that adopting safety and eco-friendly strategies has not only facilitated robust goodwill between the company and its publics, but also improved productivity, earnings and sustainability.
He thus recommended public-private partnership to enhance the struggle for total safety in the nation’s industries.