Friday, November 8, 2024 - Following its investigation into the death of Olalekan Oloruntoba, a construction engineer who tragically passed away while operating a crane at an Ijora Yard facility, the Lagos State Safety Commission said it had sanctioned Julius Berger Nigeria Plc about the incident
While eyewitnesses initially told our correspondent that Oloruntoba, an
engineer at Julius Berger Nigeria, died when a loaded crane he was operating
collapsed on him on September 23, 2024, the Lagos State Safety Commission’s
investigation report revealed that the cause of the incident was the impact of
the contents of a container.
According to Punch an investigation had begun into the incident when
news and photos of the deceased surfaced in late September, showing Oloruntoba
lying lifeless, his face and head covered in blood.
Although the specific details of the sanctions were not disclosed to our
correspondent on Wednesday, the commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lanre
Mojola, through the Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Adewunmi Okoh, revealed
that the construction firm had been instructed to fulfil certain regulatory
requirements following Oloruntoba’s death.
The report stated that the deceased “received serious injuries from
which he did not recover.”
Oloruntoba, according to the report, was overseeing the unloading of a
40-foot freight container when the “contents that were being offloaded with a
forklift truck shifted as they came out of the container, causing them to
topple from the forklift and strike the engineer.
“Immediate actions were taken following the incident. The local
authorities were notified, and the relevant details were reported to the police
on the same day. Additionally, the National Social Insurance Trust Fund has
been informed by regulatory requirements.”
The report revealed that the commission directed Julius Berger to
provide additional training for its staff members and to review and update the
company’s risk assessment procedures to prevent similar incidents at
construction sites in the future.
It stated, “Julius Berger was mandated to conduct a comprehensive review
of their risk assessment analysis. The job hazard analysis will also undergo a
thorough evaluation, along with work procedures related to loading and
offloading activities.
“A training programme will be implemented for all Julius Berger staff,
particularly those involved in the loading and offloading activities, to
reinforce safety protocols and practices.
“In view of the above, Julius Berger was sanctioned and investigated to
prevent a recurrence,” the report stated.
Our correspondent’s findings, however, revealed that the deceased had
worked for Julius Berger during his undergraduate years and was later employed
as a staff member after completing his mandatory National Youth Service Corps.
Friends and colleagues flooded social media to mourn Oloruntoba, with
Adeyemi Adetoyese describing him as a passionate and “vibrant professional.”
“It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing
of our dear brother and vibrant civil engineering professional.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends. May we have
the fortitude to bear your loss. Good night, Lekan Oloriebi. We love you, but
Jesus loves you more.
“We had plans to carry out together, which formed the basis of our
discussion on Sunday, but you departed from this world yesterday,” he wrote.
Another associate, Sani Abubakar, lamented, “I’m still reeling from the
news of his passing. We regularly discussed his professional aspirations,
including his plans to apply for a top-up programme. He was intensely
passionate about professional growth.”
A similar workplace incident occurred in the state on August 8, 2024,
when a contract worker died after jumping into an iron melting pot at his
company around 3:15 p.m. on August 3.
Following an investigation, the commission determined that the personal
protective equipment provided to the factory workers was inadequate and
concluded that the incident was a case of suicide.
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