Lagos seals off Chinese firm over teenager’s death

A manufacturing firm, Mingy Trading Company Limited, has been sealed off by the Lagos State Safety Commission for allegedly violating safety precautions in its operations.

The Lagos state government shut down the factory following a report that 17-year-old Babatunde Abdulrahmon lost his life in an industrial accident on the day he resumed work at the factory.

The spokesperson for the safety commission, Adewunmi Okoh, said the Director-General for the agency, Lanre Majola, while investigating the circumstances surrounding Abdulrahmon’s death, inspected the company and observed 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.

Okoh explained that the DG said 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.

She stated that the manufacturing company was, therefore, sealed off for violating established safety protocols.

Okoh explained that the DG, while condemning the events that led to Abdulrahmon’s death, said any organisation found culpable of violating safety protocols in the state would be dealt with in accordance with extant laws.

“According to him, 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.

“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 workers.

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

“He declared zero tolerance for safety violations and warned that punitive measures would be taken against organisations found culpable with an assurance that extant safety laws would be applied.

“He 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,” she said.