LaPromotif

Nigeria Road Safety has taken the centre stage to become a contemporary subject of global discourse, but the phenomenon is yet to receive the expected attention it deserves in many developing countries of the world, when compared with other national priorities. In the last two (2) decades, road traffic crashes and injuries have emerged to be a public health concern and a major issue for policy and decision all over the world. The direct and long term effects are negative on the general development of countries. From 2016 to date, Africa for instance remains the region with the highest road traffic deaths (26.6 per 100,000 populations). With its population of 1,307 billion, about 650 deaths occur on Africa’s roads thereby slowing down the Gross Domestic Product of the region as the most hit is the productive manpower of the region involving youths of 15 to 29 years. In Nigeria, the total deaths recorded from HIV/AIDS and Malaria is surpassed by the number of fata

AFRICA IN FOCUS The marine and coastal areas along the eastern shores of Africa contain rich, biodiverse, and under-threat flora and fauna unique for their biodiversity. The region hosts pristine coral reefs, carbon-rich mangrove forests, and sheltered seagrass beds, which support an abundance of marine life including important fish species, sharks and rays, turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals. Moreover, all along the coasts of the West Indian Ocean (WIO) region, coastal communities derive their socioeconomic livelihoods from the sea and its products. Artisanal and commercial fishing is critical for food security and the economy of the over 70 million people living along the coast, as the region’s fishing contributes to  4.8 percent of the global fish catch, equivalent to about 4.5 million tons of fish per year . Marine assets in the WIO are valued conservatively at  $333 billion and provide at least $21 billion every year  to the regional economy from marine and coastal tourism, ca

Mentoring is “one of the most rewarding things you can do”, according to one health and safety professional, who recently spoke at Safety and Health Expo. Grant Thompson Grant Thompson, Global EHS lead at Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions, told delegates he had been matched with his mentor, Hugh Maxwell, Managing Director of Maxwell Safety Limited , in 2017, as part of a pilot mentoring scheme. “Since then, he’s helped me considerably in achieving my goals and continually pushed me out of my comfort zone,” he told Safety and Health Expo . Thompson said for any mentoring partnership to be successful, there needs to be that “baseline” for between mentee and mentor and he added there is no substitute for a genuine honest partnership between the two of them. “It’s also important to highlight that when you enter these partnerships, you break away from formal roles and really need to find that common ground as people.” He added the other key to a successful mentor/mentee relationship

Cllr Valerie Harte, MLA Liz Kimmins and MP Mickey Brady at Peter McParland Park. The Department for Infrastructure say they will erect better signage to indicate the presence of a playpark at Barley Lane in Newry following safety concerns highlighted by local political representatives. Newry City Councillor Valerie Harte along with Liz Kimmins MLA and Mickey Brady MP have recently met with DFI to highlight serious road safety concerns for children and local residents at Peter McParland Park. Cllr Harte said: “We met with a DFI engineer and some local residents at Peter McParland park to discuss the serious safety concerns that residents have for the area. “The road is an extremely busy route, with much of the traffic normally travelling at great speed past the park. “With the amount of children and others who use the facilities at the park this is a serious concern for the residents. Her colleague, Liz Kimmins MLA spoke about the outcome of the meeting “In the short term, DFI have agre

A new independent body modelled on the Air, Marine and Rail Investigation Branches aims to cut UK road casualties A new independent Road Safety Investigations Branch has been announced by the Department for Transport, which will investigate incidents on the country’s roads, with a view to advising on ways to improve road safety and reduce casualties. The RSIB will have a similar remit to the long-standing Air, Marine and Rail Accident Investigation Branches in terms of providing insights into best practise, but unlike those bodies it will not send investigators to crash scenes. On the ground investigations will remain within the remit of local police forces, but the RSIB will act on reports provided and will provide a national picture that’s currently missing. The RSIB has been set-up as a response to a Roads Policing Review which highlighted the lack of any national oversight of road safety. In contrast the Air Accident Investigations Branch has been operating for more than a century,

In response to the growing demand for flooring solutions that can be installed quickly with minimal disruption, Forbo Flooring Systems has launched a brand new adhesive free, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) compliant safety flooring range: Surestep Fast Fit. Joining Forbo’s ever expanding Fast Flooring portfolio of adhesive free solutions, Surestep Fast Fit has been designed for demanding commercial environments, where a quick turnaround and minimal disruption is required, but where slip resistance is also a priority. It’s perfect for all sectors where safety is important, including healthcare, education, retail, public buildings and offices. The genuine  > 36 safety flooring is installed with no adhesive, which means extensive subfloor surface preparation is minimised or even eliminated, and installation is quick and easy with minimal downtime, meaning installation times can actually be reduced by up to 50%! Suitable for installation over a variety of existing subfloors, includin

Multi-country monkeypox outbreak: situation update 27 June 2022 This Disease Outbreak News on the multi-country monkeypox outbreak is an update to the  previously published editions  and provides an update on the epidemiological situation, further information on the use of therapeutics, as well as on the outcomes of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country monkeypox outbreak held on 23 June.  Outbreak at a glance  Since 1 January and as of 22 June 2022, 3413 laboratory confirmed cases and one death have been reported to WHO from 50 countries/territories in five WHO Regions.      Since the previous  Disease Outbreak News of 17 June  was published, 1310 new cases have been reported and eight new countries have reported cases.    Description of the outbreak  The majority of laboratory confirmed cases (2933/3413; 86%) were reported from the WHO European Region. Other regions reporting cases include: the African Region (73/3413, 2%), Region

In the last 12 years, Kenya has made major strides in the development of the maritime sector billed as a sleeping giant capable of creating millions of jobs and spur economic growth. According to the Principal Secretary for Shipping, Nancy Karigithu, Kenya has also ratified key maritime conventions to improve the safety and welfare of seafarers. But analysis of recent scholarly articles and data shows that the country is yet to reap from resources in its ocean area of 245,000 square kilometres - 42 per cent of its total land area. Experts agree that measures taken to develop the nascent  blue economy  have not borne desired results because of years of policy neglect. In 2018, the then Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri revealed that the country was losing over Sh440 billion annually by failing to fully exploit the sector. And the State estimates Kenya losses Sh10 billion to illegal fishing along the Indian Ocean every year. The government established Kenya Coast Guard Servic