- Lagos State Government has shut a Chinese company based, Hongxing Steel Company Limited, in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government for safety violations which led to the death of a casual worker.
- The state government issued the stop-work order following the death of Mr Emeka Umoh, a casual worker in the company, after he sustained severe burns resulting from liquefied iron which spilled on him on September 23, 2015.
- According to sources, he died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, where he was rushed to for treatment by the management.
- The Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, LSSC, Mr Fouad Oki, in a statement after visiting the company, said that the company failed to adhere to the state safety standards and lamented the working condition in the company, saying it was deplorable.
- He noted that a safety audit of the company that was earlier conducted by the LSSC team showed that very little safety measure was put in place by the management.
Mr Oki said: “We have no option than to give the closure directive because the working condition in the company is harsh and totally unacceptable. It was unacceptable to Lagos as a work-place.”
- Mr Uche Eke, the Public Relations Manager of the company, while reacting to the closure, said it would serve as a notice to the management to improve on its work-place safety measures, adding, “when it is improved, it will help to avoid future hazards.’’
