Lagos Govt Seals Chinese Company Over Death Of 17-Year-Old Worker

The Lagos State Government has sealed the Mingy Trading Company Limited, located at No 11, Ila Orangun Street, Ijegun-Egba, Satellite Town, for violating the State’s safety rules that led to the death of a teenage worker.

17-year-old Babatunde Abdulrahmon died after he was sucked into a mixing machine on the day he resumed work at the factory.

Speaking during the sealing of the company on Thursday, May 27, the Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, affirmed the commitment of the State Government to ensure the safety of lives and property of its citizens.

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Narrating the event that led to the death of AbdulRahmon, the Director-General disclosed that the fatality occurred due to a violation of safety precautionary measures. He said the teenage worker was employed and immediately exposed to mechanical and electrical manufacturing equipment without training and personal protective equipment. 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,” he stated.

“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 lives of workers.

Imploring organisations to value lives above monetary gains and adopt best practices, the DirectorDirector-General maintained that a culture of safety first should be an individual and collective responsibility.

Mojola declared zero tolerance for safety violations and warned that punitive measures will be taken against organisations found culpable with an assurance that extant safety Laws will be applied.

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