The Lagos State Government has established a law on public health and safety. Gone are the days when people were not familiar with the terms “Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)” and “Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)”. More and more people are becoming aware of Safety as an area of specialization.


So what exactly do the terms “Health, Safety and Environment” and “Occupational Safety and Health” mean? Both essentially deal with the well being of workers in the work place. People are the most valuable assets of any organization. A damaged printer can be replaced. The same cannot be said of a worker killed in a car accident. Therefore it becomes crucial to ensure the safety of employees in an organization.


So how do we establish and maintain a healthful environment for employees? The first step is identifying “Hazards”. A Hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm or injury to a worker. When a Web developer stays in front of the laptop screen for a long period of time, he is exposed to the risk of suffering from fatigue or bad eye sight. This translates to the fact that “Staying in front of the laptop screen for a long period of time” constitutes a Hazard.


Hazards can be identified through various ways. Hazards can be detected by interviewing workers to know the steps involved in their job. For the Web developer, staying in front of the laptop screen for a substantial amount of time is required in building Websites. Hazards can also be identified by inspecting the work environment for anything that can pose a threat to the well being of workers.


So, how do we deal with Hazards? We will have to examine that next time we meet.