The 8th Edition of the Annual PSRG – RICHARDSON HSSE Forum themed “Emergency and Disaster Management: Issues, Challenges and Solutions” was held on 20th & 21st October, 2016 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island Lagos.
The Forum kicked off with an Opening prayer, which was led by Mr. Adigun Olawunmi, Chairman Board of Directors, Richardson Oil and Gas Limited.
The Welcome remarks were taking by Mr. Akin Osuntoki, Managing Director/C.E.O, Richardson Oil and Gas Limited, who informed the participants that the forum is part of the Company’s initiative towards the identification of gaps and build bridges in HSSE Management across various industry strata, emphasize the importance of HSSE practice in business operations and also educate industrialist that the benefits of good HSSE practice far outweighs the economic cost.
The Forums Objectives were;
The Executive Director Total E&P Nigeria Limited, Mr. Joel Hervochon (Representing The Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water District, Total E&P Nigeria Limited – Mr. Ahmadu- Kida Musa) delivered the Opening Remarks and reserved special appreciation for Richardson Oil and Gas Limited and Process Safety and Reliability Group – USA (PSRG) for the organizing of this event annually. He also he indicated, that the importance of the PSRG - RICHARDSON HSSE Forum cannot be overemphasized especially in the prevailing socio-economical regime necessitating optimal processes as well as excellence in HSSE delivery.
Mr. Banjo Adeogba of Shell Petroleum Development Company, kicked-off the session with the first presentation of the conference titled: Emergency and Disaster Management: Issues, Challenges and Solutions.
Special Achievement Awards were presented to Mr. Bayo Ojulari, Managing Director of SNEPCO and Mr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Managing Director/C.E.O of First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited.
Mr. Evaristus Uzamere of Safety Engineering and Fire Consultant Nigeria Limited took the Second presentation of the Conference, titled: Building Capacity for Emergency Planning and Management.
He commenced with an incident that happened in Lagos state in which different stakeholders gave different and incoherent statistics of the incident and he used to this incident to make known to participants the importance of building capacity for emergency planning.
Mr. Obinna Ugwuegbu of Process Safety and Reliability Group (PSRG) our Partners for the HSSE Forum, delivered a presentation on “Emergency and Disaster Management – Process Safety Management” to round-off the presentations for the first Session and his keynote to the audience was that “Cost should not be a factor when considering Safety”.
The Discussants Session were coordinated by Commander Hamzat Oseni of The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) who represented Core Commander Hyginus Omeje; Miss Ebayi Aipopo who represented Mr. Bandele Onimode of The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); Honorable Mike Akindele of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Mr. Umar Mairiga of Rahad Consultants Nigeria Limited.
Commander Hamzat Oseni of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC); started the discussions with how emergencies and disasters affect road accidents and the FRSC preparations towards such events. He made known to the participants the three major causes of accidents which include;
As regards the preventive measure the FRSC takes towards road accidents, he mentioned;
Miss Ebayi Aipopo who represented Mr. Bandele Onimode of The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) continued the discussant session by stating the role of NEMA in disaster Management in the country. She started by stating that NEMA is a coordinating agency for disaster Management and not always the first responder to disasters.
Mr. Umar Mairiga of Rahad Consultants Nigeria Limited was the third speaker during the discussant session and he commenced by stating his passion for disaster management and the problems we face in handling disasters in Nigeria. Some of the problems we face include;
He also suggested that Nigeria should have an IDR law that is an International Disaster Response Law.
At the end of this session, participants made their contributions and asked the following questions;
Answer: The agency that arrives to the scene first usually takes authority. When the other agencies arrive they dialogue and corporate with each other. However there is still room for improvement between the agencies.
Answer: We have noticed the issue of psychological recognized trauma on the vulnerable group (Children and Women), we have started placing them in camps/homes and providing them with counselors. The counselors are mainly volunteers and NGO’s.We also provide the women with empowerment programs and UNICEF helps with educating them.
Answer: We have a lot of volunteering platforms, right from the primary school level were we encourage students to join our Disaster-Risk reduction club in schools, so we can train them and sensitize them on Emergency and Disaster Management. We also have NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) members who are trained and sensitized and sent to all the local governments in the Country to act as first responders.
Answer: We are not talking about tracking devices. We are however talking about speed limit devices that would be introduced into the country by the 1st of October, starting with commercial vehicles.
Answer: Our first response is to tow the vehicle as a minute delay will cause a 100m delay especially in states like Lagos.
Dr. Lekan Adelakun, Quaint Consultants commenced the afternoon session by giving a brief overview of Health and Industrial Hygiene. He defined industrial hygiene as the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling hygiene. He also made note that with every advancement Humans make there is an added danger/hazard.
Dr. Ganiyat Oyeleke, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) delivered a presentation on Lassa Fever: Prevention and Control. The presentation was ideal and received great attention due to its relevance in recent times.
She commenced by explaining how the virus is contacted and transmitted. The clinical features of the virus include;
The clinical features are not major determinants of the infection as they are also features that we see or notice when we have malaria. However, we have major determinants which include;
She also talked about the preventive measures which include;
Dr. Lanre Ajayi, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited delivered a presentation on Mitigation of Industrial Health Hazard: Management and Workforce Responsibilities, he started by emphasizing that the topic is not a new one but it is necessary because despite the fact that it’s something that we have heard over and over again, we have to continue to expand our knowledge on the subject. As said by Alvin Toffler - The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
He also made known that the term “Industrial Health” is very narrow, as it gives the impression that we are referring to only those in construction industries, plants, FPSO’s, Rigs, factories and industries with a lot of noise etc, whereas we are referring to everyone who works. He therefore suggested broader terms – Occupational Health Hazard &Workplace Health Hazard.
He advised that we take steps to mitigate health hazards in our workplace as almost 80% of the cancers today are from workplace origin. He concluded by stating that the age of the workforce has been on the constant rise and with increasing age, we are more prone to illnesses like; Diabetes, Hypertension etc. and we need to ensure that these people work in safe environment, so as to avoid fatalities.
Dr. Oluwatoki Babajide, Reddington Hospital delivered concluded the session by delivering a presentation on Personal Medical Checkup: A Health Management Necessity for a Healthy Workforce.
She started by stating the workplace has become a critical location for achieving the goals of health reform. She also made note that in advanced countries the government has realized that it is favorable for them to develop reforms or policies through the workplace has helped a long- way in helping to keep the population healthy. She also made note that a healthy workforce is the engine of the economy, so if your workforce is healthy they will be able to achieve whatever target you have set. Therefore we should understand that health check is not negotiable in achieving a healthy workforce, initially we have always thought that chronic illnesses like cancer and diabetes were majorly found in developed countries but a statistic from the WHO (World Health Organization) has shown that there has been a sharp rise in this illnesses here in Africa and as such employers should ensure that their staffs go for regular check-ups.
The Chairman of the session, Dr. Lekan Adelakun concluded the session by stating a few tips to keep our personal hygiene;
He also added that Nigerians should endeavor to use the gym and not neglect them.
The programme started with the opening prayer after which the Safety session began. The Safety session was chaired by Mr. Emiy Ikuru who in his opening remarks applauded the untiring efforts of the PSRG- RICHARDSON alliance in organizing the Forum yet again. He also emphasized the importance and prioritization of Safety in business operations both in the Oil and Gas Industry as well as all sectors of the economy.
Mr. Jide Sanwoolu of the Lagos State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC) started off the session with his presentation titled: “Improving Safety Performance in the Construction Industry- A Critical Guide”.
In his presentation he emphasized the lack of coordination at construction sites which result in major accidents and the need for increased adherence to safety measures at these sites. He gave instances on the complexity of some projects that go on in the midst of the general public and the importance of putting in place structures, processes and procedures to ensure that both workers and the general public are operating in a safe environment.
He identified some major challenges in the Construction Industry including the lack of adequate In-house trainings, lack of Compliance, Inadequate resources and Safety Knowledge. Some challenges also arise from Government as they do not rigorously enforce these safety policies and measures.
In his conclusion, he advised some safety measures to address the aforementioned problems which include making sure that contractors are prequalified for safety, creation of accountability levels, adequate training of workers, review of accidents and near-misses etc.
Engr. Dele Olaoye, Q-SHE Nigeria Limited gave the second presentation of the session titled
“Market Fires: Causes, Issues and Recommendations”. It was well received by participants.
According to statistics, fire eruptions in markets between January, 2015 and March, 2016 have claimed 600 lives and properties worth ₦5.3 trillion. The recurrences of these fire incidents have resulted in a high level of unemployment and have resulted in direct economic and largely irreversible social impact. The challenges associated with control of market fires include ignorance and poor implementation of fire preventive measures, increase in poverty population and weak executive willpower to implement fire control measures. He also spoke about Electrical fires being the most common types of fires arising from Generator sets, Power surges and improper connection of electrical circuits.
Some of the recommendations given to ensure reduction in market fires include: Raising awareness in the markets on fire hazards and incident prevention measures, engagement of market leaders as safety champions to further educate, engage, mentor and trigger enforcement of regulations. He also suggests collaborations between relevant agencies to ensure regular compliance and enforcement e.g. Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Nigerian Police Force (NPF) etc. He also recommended workshops and conferences on fire emergencies, Audit of Fire services to ensure proper training and drills that involve all responders.
He concludes that Fire Emergencies have become a critical emergency requiring national focus and it is therefore a time to be proactive.
The third presentation of the Safety session was anchored by Mr. Horace Awi, Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited and it was titled “Managing Safety in a low Oil price Regime”.
Mr. Horace Awi emphasized on the trends associated with the current low oil price regime which includes the cutting down of operational costs which involves personnel in terms of downsizing etc and this in turn leads to loss of knowledge. The “boom” and “bust” periods in the Oil and Gas Industry have occurred over time however, Nigerians have always been inadequately prepared for these discrepancies. Cost cutting actions that are made today have an impact on performance and could affect future costs. He advises that certain safety procedures are not cut off but be reestablished. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of Safety management in this low oil price regime. It requires enhancement in safety management.
This session was chaired by Mr. Ranti Omole of the Radial Circle Group.
The afternoon session kicked off with a presentation by Mr. Femi Ajayi, Risk Control Services Nigeria Limited on “Emerging Trends in Security- Issues and Solutions”.
He indicated the traditional threats that Nigeria faces as a whole which include Espionage (the act of spying) and the evolvement of this security threat over the years, Sabotage and Submersion which involves undermining the authority of the government in order to bring the government down. This act of submersion has also escalated in recent times in not just Nigeria but all over the world.
He identified some threats to security which include transnational crimes (crime without borders), operators of such crimes have infiltrated the government and have been involved in terrible crimes such as drug trafficking and child trafficking. He also identified Nigeria as a transit point in the movement of illicit drugs. As given by Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), 40% of products in Nigeria are either substandard or counterfeited. A major threat also includes Arms smuggling and corruption which are very common. The speaker also deliberated on Cyber-crimes and financial crimes. He attributed all these crimes to political and socio-cultural discrepancies, economic instability- poverty, Religion. He recommends that we fix our electoral system through technology.
He suggests that the government improve the standards of security in the country. He also suggests that religion be suppressed and debased. He advises that we become aware of and alert in our environment.
The second paper was presented by Prof. Olu Odeyemi, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and titled “Global Warming: New dimensions in disaster risk, exposure and vulnerability”.
Prof Odeyemi began by analyzing the impact of anthropogenic activities on the environment and its contribution towards the increase in global warming. He blames this trend on ignorance and lack of knowledge about environmental management.
According to recent studies, the world is in a peril state of global warming due to volcanic eruptions, greenhouse gases etc. Some indications of this global warming include increased and decreased precipitation in some parts of the world, melting of ice caps and glaciers, drought and heat waves, intense hurricanes and animal mobilization. Even 20%-30% of resources we have are being threatened due to these developments. He laments on the lack of proper scientific research and procedures on global warming in Nigeria that can help with finding solutions.
In his conclusion, he recommended the following; Knowledge sharing and awareness on scientific knowledge. He also suggested that Federal government must do what is needful to ensure regular supply of aviation fuel to avoid total collapse of the aviation industry. Government should engage in overhauling of international airports as they are poorly maintained. He also advised increased awareness on global warming to ensure that safety precautions are taken to reduce it
The third and final paper for this session was presented by Professor S. Vertigans, Robert Gordon University and it was titled “Environmental and Social threats to security: An energy based case study”
In his presentation he clearly points out that populations that live in environments that are insecure are more vulnerable in accepting violence as a solution –e.g. local settlements are more prone to violence than affluent areas. Improper research of relocation areas by organizations often result in conflict as organizational processes interfere with them. He gave an example of the high level of political violence in the Niger Delta region which has been used over years to channel political decisions. He also recommends that organization both local and international collaborate to solve critical issues that require critical investments.
At the end of this session, participants made their contributions and asked questions.
Answer: We need to step up our scientific knowledge as a nation.
Answer: He advises that prevention is better than cure. Avoid being visible to avoid vulnerability.
Answer: There are agricultural loans that have been made available by the government so youths should try to utilize that opportunity and be involved in employment schemes.
The second day was well applauded and the raffle draw began immediately after the afternoon session. All the proceeds from the Raffle draw were thereafter donated to the Modupe Cole Memorial School.
