The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has tasked employers, especially managers of production and service firms, on occupational and environmental safety of employees in workplaces throughout the country.

The Branch Manager of NSITF, Enugu, Uzoamaka Oraegbu, gave the advice on Monday during an interview with journalists as the 35^th Enugu International Trade Fair winds down.

The fair, which began on April 5, is with the theme, “Promoting made-in-Nigeria products for global competitiveness.”

Ms Oraegbu noted that the trust fund takes periodic visits to firms to ensure that they comply with the highest form of safety standard without compromise.

She said that the NSITF had been in the forefront of massive sensitisation of employers in Enugu State on the need and benefit of a safe and harmonious working environment for many years.

The manager said that employers must ensure that walkways are cleared of obstructions, staircases well-constructed, with rails and well-lit and ground tiles are never slippery among others.

“The NSITF is primarily established to ensure employees get compensation claims or rights in the event of occupational, health and environmental hazards in their place of work. Therefore, we ensure that any injury, health issue, disability or even accident an employee is faced with in a workplace or during work is duly and adequately compensated.

“For those that lose their lives in the process of work or through workplace hazards; we ensure that their next of kins or immediate relatives are adequately compensated,” she said.

At the fair, the branch manager noted that there was an increase in the turnout of people wishing to know more about what NSITF was doing.

She said, “In the course of this particular fair, more people have visited our stand to learn more about what we do in NSITF and how we operate. We have more people visiting the stand this year than previous years and more employers registered and enrolled with our NSITF scheme in this fair, which shows a remarkable improvement.” 

(NAN)