Lagos govt seals Chinese company over death of 17-year-old worker

The Lagos State government has sealed a Chinese firm, Mingy Trading Company Ltd., for violating safety precaution measures, which led to the death of a 17-Year-old employee.

The Director-General, Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, led the commission’s team that sealed the firm on Thursday in Lagos.

He reiterated the state government’s commitment to the safety of lives and property of its citizens which led to another sealing of Mingy Trading Company Ltd. at 11, Ila Orangun Street, Ijegun-Egba, Satellite Town.

Mojola said the sealing took place following a report in a newspaper tagged, “Lagos teenage factory worker killed in industrial accident on resumption day.”

He said the fatality occurred due to a violation of safety measures, and that the victim, one Babatunde AbdulRahmon, 17, was employed on the said day.

“The 17-year-old was immediately exposed to a piece of mechanical and electrical manufacturing equipment without training and provision for personal protective equipment.

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“In the process of operating the equipment, he lost his life. There was also very clear evidence of poor housekeeping, lack of safety signage, poor factory layout for emergency management, very poor recruitment process with no documented training records, poorly installed electric cables, and poor record-keeping.

“On no account should any company employ an underage person to operate a mixer or grinding machine without proper training and use of personal protective equipment,” Mojola said.

He reiterated the importance of having a tested electrical wiring system, appropriate safety signage, good housekeeping, and a clean environment devoid of infractions and hazards to the lives of its workers.

Mojola implored organisations to value lives above monetary gains, adopt best practices, adding that a culture of safety first should be an individual and collective responsibility.

The Lagos safety boss declared zero tolerance for safety violations and warned that punitive measures would be taken against organisations found culpable.

Mojola urged members of the public to report incidents and infractions regularly to the Lagos State Safety Commission in a bid to have a safer Lagos for the citizenry.

By Mayowa Oladeji…

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