Chemstar Reaffirms Commitment, Priority to Staff Health, Safety

Gilbert Ekugbe

Again, the management of Chemstar Paints Industry Nigeria Limited, manufacturer of Finecoat and Shield Paints, has reiterated its commitment and determination to prioritise the health, safety and overall well-being of the members of staff, and the entire workforce.

The Group Managing Director (GMD), Mr Adedayo Paseda restated this commitment while declaring open the Health & Safety Week 2023, organised yearly by the company for members of staff, to enlighten members of staff continuously about the importance of their safety and wellness, as well as to enhance their healthy lifestyle.

The theme of this year’s week was: “Health and Safety Lifestyle in a Challenging Environment.”
Paseda, who said that the company has consciously prioritised the health, safety and well-being of the workers, stressed that through the health and safety programme, the company has over the years improved the wellness of the staff and productivity, because “we have less incidences of absenteeism from work and workers are more conscious of their health and safety of their working environment.

“Over the years, I will say that every year we have an improvement of about 15 to 20 per cent over the previous year in terms of awareness, consciousness and enlightenment about their health, lifestyle and safety, and all these has greatly impacted on productivity,” the GMD added.
He also recalled that through the annual programme, there has been tremendous improvement in the workers’ productivity rate as a result of fewer incidences of absenteeism from work.

The theme of this year’s week was: “Health and Safety Lifestyle in a Challenging Environment.”
The General Manager Operations, and Chairman of the Health and Safety Week, Mr. Cyprian Ukpai, said the essence of the programme is to enlighten members of staff continuously about safety and wellness, as well as how to live a healthy lifestyle.

He, therefore, urged the workers to always be conscious of their working environment, health and wellness, as living a quality lifestyle plays a significant role in the wellness of the workers.
Ukpai, therefore, said that as policy of the company, the workers are encouraged to always ensure and consciously use and wear protective kids, such as nose masks, hand gloves, boots and helmets, among others, usually provided for them by the company in order to safeguard their health in the working environment.

“In terms of productivity, the week has really improved and increased productivity because through the awareness and sensitivity the workers have been able to be conscious of their working environment, and able to ensure that they do not engage in any unsafe act at work, learn the right thing to do, and what not to do. They are conscious of their environment even at work and their homes,” he stated.

Still assessing the success of the programme over the years, he said: “In the area of productivity, we have achieved about 90 per cent improvement because the safety week has really changed the concept and understanding of the way the workers adhere to and think about the rules of working in the company, and that while working they have to be safety conscious.”

This year’s week was kicked off with a “Health Talk,” which was delivered by the guest speaker, Prof Osunkalu Vincent Oluseye, of the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, who advised the staff that the way they go about their health, drug application and medical treatment should be taken more seriously.

Other activities for the week, that kicked off on Tuesday are medical check by Jeffis Specialist Hospital Limited; and HMO enlightenment – reliance HMO on Wednesday May 24; medical check by Jeffis Specialist Hospital Ltd and safety and nutrition talk by Dr. Maijeh on Thursday May 25, 2023; while the curtains will be lowered on the week Friday May 26 with fire safety and demonstration by personnel and officials of the Lagos State Fire Service.

Ukpai further recalled: “Only last week we measured every staff, especially those in the factory for the provision of safety kits and those kits that are supplied and ready had already been distributed to them. And, with these kits and awareness they have been able to work safely and ensure that they do not engage in an unsafe act at work. As a company that takes the safety and health of its workers with optimum priority, we shall continue to ensure a safety working environment for our staff members and their entire workforce irrespective of the unit or section they belong to , and hold this tenaciously as a company”