Technologists Tasked on Work Ethics
By Ndubuisi Ugah and Susan Olarinde
The need for technologists to adhere to safety tips and measures aimed at enhancing the quality of service delivery yesterday, formed the highpoint of a one-day seminar in Lagos.
The seminar, which had resource persons, cutting across equipment inventory, store-taking and safety/hazards faced by technologists in laboratory work said there was a need for an urgent re-orientation for practitioners in order to curtail the occasional occurence of hazards in workshops and laboratories.
But Mr. S.A. Biobaku Head, price monitoring unit (Bursar department), Univer-sity of Lagos and Mr. E.E. Essen of the NNPC /PPMC Limited, Apapa, while speaking at a workshop tagged: "Safety/ Hazard in Workshop/Labora-tory Protection" in Lagos, were unanimous in calling for strick adherence to policy guidelines put in place for practitioners to adhere to while discharging their duties.
Biobaku, spoke on "the Importance of Equipment Inventory And Store-Taking" saying, the country operated where scarce resources and materials were competiting for suvival within a galloping inflation economy, especially where most of the equipment and materials " we use are imported and in most times, we do not have enough foreign exchange to accommodate all our various needs in the faculties and departments".
He pointed out that this invariably called for caution in the way equipment and materials are being handled and disposed off, adding that "it is unfortunate that in many cases, operators of a system may not know the stock of all the equipment available to them in their respectful location of operation or those available in other units that could be obtained on loan by them to compliment theirs. This in effect is as a result of non availability of proper inventory."
However Essen while speaking on the theme: "Safety/Hazard in Workshop /Laboratory", noted that there was a need for technologists to be refreshed on routine basis with the necessary safety measures in hazardous working environments, especially for workshops and laboratories.
According to him, safety manuals and trainings were very important in any establishment, as it helps in identifying potential hazards in workshops and laboratories, guiding them through laid down guidelines on procedures for specific hazards and safety emergencies including preventive steps and counter measures to reduce the number of hazards in the workshops and laboratories.
Also, Mr. Jonathan Ogungbe who spoke on behalf of the Chairman, Technology Development and Management Board (TDMB)/ Equipment Maintenance Centre (EMC) Professor R. I. Salawu, stressed that the board decided "to organise the seminar as a prelude to others in this series to update our technologists on the need to be abreast with modern means of effecting and affecting their environment positively in order to reduce cost in university expenditures."
Ogungbe said that the seminar was expected "to go a long way in assisting the university in channeling such monies that will be saved in this process to other viable and productive ventures."
He commended the Unilag Vice Chancellor, Professor Ayo Ibidapo-Obe for initiating policies, which has so far moved the institution forward.
He said that Ibidapo-Obe's starting qualities has made UNILAG one of the best institution's in recent time.
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