The Special Adviser to Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Special Duties, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, has urged hotel and event centre owners to imbibe standards that would help to avoid accidents during the Yuletide period.Ogunlende spoke during a Yuletide sensitisation session with owners of hotels and event centres, in partnership with AQAATA Safety Company and the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, tagged “The Science of Safe Events: Do the Right Thing in the New Normal,” was held on Wednesday, in Lagos.
He said that the Lagos State Government does not compromise safety standard procedures. describing safety as everyone’s business.
Ogunlende commended the Lagos State Safety Commission for succeeding in bringing the event centre and hotel owners together to tell themselves the truth.
He said that they told themselves the truth on some negligence exhibited during functions which could lead to disaster.
The special adviser said that some of the issues pointed out were enough for the state to create policies and regulations on the existing laws, to enhance safety and improve their patronage.
Ogunlende said that officials would go back to his ministry and improve on policies to enhance safety at event centres.
He advised event owners to speak the same language for proper enforcement on standard implementation procedures.
The special adviser said that advocacy was key to everyone, including government organisations, assuring that the government would make more efforts in sensitising other players in the event and entertainment industry.
Ogunlende said that government had been working towards providing a safety culture, adding that there were laws and punishment established for offenders, to enhance safety.
He said that the government was working on fire workshops in which certificates would be given at the end, to improve safety culture.
Ogunlende said that Sanwo-olu recently launched 62 fire equipment and established six additional fire stations to reduce disaster and improve responses during crisis.
He commended the Lagos State Safety Commission for a job well done.
The Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, said the commission usually identified hazards before making decisions based of the level of the offence .
He said that if the offence was minor, they issued warning letters, and if it major, they could fine or penalise the operators or the offenders.
Majola said if the incident involved loss of lives, they prosecute the offenders accordingly, adding that they had been engaging all the key stakeholders, including the artisans, on standard requirements, for Health and Safety Care.
He said that safeguarding Lagos residents was their priority, as they engaged in continuous sensitisation on dangers associated with negligence on duty.
During the panel discussion, President, Hotel Owners and Association, Mr Adeniyi Ologun,
said there were laid down security measures and safety policies in all their hotels, to secure the lives of clients and their guests.
Ologun said that the hotel managers in Lagos had professionals who man their Health and Safety Departments, adding that they usually give guest safety tips before any event commenced.
The President, Association of Venue Owners of Lagos, Mrs Omowunmi Segun, said they convinced customers on the need for ambulance and other additional safety measures.
Segun said that most clients reject safety measures, while they insist, because they had seen a situation where a dancer collapsed while on stage, and due to inadequate first aid, the person later died.
She said that there was need to reorient bouncers on security measures, adding that instead of the bouncer to direct visitors on safety, they rather appreciated them for compensation.
Segun said some clients also reduce their plan by reducing number of security officers at events, which could lead to disaster, instead of taking recommendation required.
She pleaded with the government to enact laws to sanction any event client offender when necessary, to improve safety culture in their operations.
A member, International Live Event Association, Mr Kunmi Ariyo, said many client do not understand the safety guide unless it was broken down for better understanding.
Association of Professional Party and Event Manager, Mrs Adefunke Kuyoro, said they had lost a lot of jobs for not tolerating fire indoor.
In his comment, the President, Association of Event Production professionals, Dr Yemi Amusan, said there was need to understand the way the event was established.
He said that most corporate events were driven by commercials, and event was designed to have a proper presentation.
He urged event planners not to compromise on safety measures, adding that overseas event owners preferred to work with registered vendors, to avoid clients cutting corners.
The Moderator, Mr Edi Lawani, of the Safety Company AQAATA, in his welcome address, called for more security and safety guides to enhance safety at events and reduce accidents to barest minimum.
Lawani said that there was need for stakeholders to understand the right things to be done before and after events took place.
He said that stakeholders should always apply business methodology to any event, which would help to save lives by doing the right things, and avoid cutting corners while planning.
Lawani said that stakeholders should always comply to sustainability of Health and Safety Care in line with the International Standard Procedures.
