As I go around town every day, I noticed that many houses and buildings do not have lightning rods. You might think that it is not a big deal. In fact, lightning rods or specifically, Lightning Protection System, not only helps prevent fire in buildings but protect people inside from lightning strike which can cause serious injury or death instantly. LPS is more relevant during rainy season in which we are currently.

Another thing that strikes me is that most buildings do not have enough emergency exits or appropriate evacuation plan in compliance with ISO 23601.

Imagine a fire in one of those 10 or 20-floor buildings in Tana, how will people, especially disabled ones, and pregnant women on top floors, evacuate the rooms before the fire spreads and gets worse? Remember that elevators must be switched off during a fire.

Certainly, some buildings have fire insurance but how about lost data in computers and servers or other data storage? How about lost lives? Those are tremendous losses for any business. Some people might think that occupational safety is highly expensive. I would say it is much better to think about the cost of lack of safety.

About 35 years ago, I played with a lighter that ran out of gas near an artificial flower at home. The lighter did not produce flames anymore but just sparks. Unfortunately, the little sparks were enough to put the artificial flowers on fire. That was a lesson that I will never forget, and I would teach to my children over and over. To avoid similar accidents or worse in a company, fire risk assessments must be carried out regularly and fire drills are paramount and should be organized at least once a year to avoid injury or death during an evacuation.

Now, let us talk about health. We are tempted to think that outdoor air is more polluted that indoor air, but nothing can be further from truth. In fact, indoor air is polluted with volatile organic compound such as formaldehyde from furniture made of plywood. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention in USA, breathing in formaldehyde can cause eye, nose, skin irritation, cancer and fertility problems or miscarriage.

A few years ago, I bought and read an occupational safety and health encyclopedia issued by International Labor Organization. Every company should have a copy of this material and use it regularly to improve occupational safety and health.

Last but not least, each company must have a safety manual that should be updated annually and be made accessible to all employees. This safety manual should be used during the monthly safety meetings and safety trainings.